Where is My Homeland?
by Z98
Summary: This follows the trials of an American fighting for Germany during RA1.
1. Chapter 1

In my experiences in writing Command & Conquer fics on ff.net, there have actually been very few serious stories. I know, I probably haven't read all of them, but the ones I've read have had lots of humor in them. There are actually some that are serious, but because my internet modem at home is down and I have to rely on the school internet connection, I now cannot actually look for them. I am not trying to offend anyone, so do not complain.  
  
Anyways, enough of my blabbering. This is a story about a twenty-one year old American that had enlisted in the Germany Army in the Second World War against the Soviet Union. We follow him as he fights alongside General Erwin Rommel as the Allies fight to push back the Soviet Union.  
  
Where is My Homeland?  
  
Chapter 1: First Mission  
  
Private Zachary Keith was shivering in the cold. He was a member of the German 34th Mechanized Infantry Division, and they had just been deployed into Poland. It did seem a bit ridiculous, but here he was. Two Soviet soldiers were approaching him with one of their attack dogs. The Ranger in front of him opened fire with its machinegun and cut down one of the soldiers. He raised his rifle and blasted away at the other incoming infantry. The Soviet soldier went down after several bullets struck him in the chest. Corporal Fritz Gustoff, a German officer, fired on the dog, which was killed after a short burst from his M-16 and the Ranger's machinegun.  
  
"Those men won't kill any more of our men, ja?"  
  
Zach nodded. Just then, a Chinook transport appeared and headed towards them. Good thing the Soviet base didn't have any SAMs, or that helicopter would have been dead.  
  
"Who is supposed to be our reinforcement?" Zach asked Fritz.  
  
Just then, three more Allied soldiers appeared from behind and joined them. The helicopter landed, kicking up the snow, partially blinding Zach until he turned to face the Soviet base again. The Soviets were sending several more soldiers to attack them. Just then, Zach saw a few civilians run up and get fried by the Tesla Coil. He flinched as they were electrocuted and their bodies burnt to a crisp. He felt a hand clap onto his shoulder and saw Private Gunter Goring.  
  
"We'll make the Soviets pay for what they did," he said.  
  
Zach nodded. Just then, a woman came out of the Chinook and it took off and left.  
  
"I'm Agent Tanya," she said, "I was sent to assist you."  
  
Zach thought it was a joke. They sent a woman to assist in this operation?  
  
"Professor Einstein is in the Soviet Tech Center. We have to disable the power plants before we can get to him," said Fritz.  
  
Tanya nodded and headed down.  
  
"What the hell? Is she crazy?"  
  
The other soldiers shrugged, but the followed Tanya's lead. She opened fire on one of the Grenadiers, killing him with one shot in the head. She then fired on a fuel barrel, igniting it and starting a chain reaction. The barrels all exploded, taking out the other grenadier, two dogs, and one rifleman running towards them. Their burnt bodies fell to the ground as the explosions continued, creating an inferno which led to one of the power plants. The plant exploded and the Tesla Coils deactivated. Zach reconsidered his first impression of the agent.  
  
"Now's our chance!" Fritz yelled out.  
  
The Rangers moved in and mowed down several of the soldiers. Zach ran in and fired upon one of the guards standing outside the Tech Center, blowing apart his head. Gunter dropped another one. Tanya had been busy setting C- 4 charges on the two other power plants. Gunter went inside the Tech Center and a few seconds later came out with Einstein. Tanya blew the plants and they started pulling back. A few other Soviet troops tried to pursue them, but the Rangers cut all of them down. Another Chinook had landed by a signal flare that one of the infantrymen had set. Just then, Zach saw a few large warships appearing off the horizon. They opened fire and blew apart two of the four remaining power plants. Zach didn't wait to watch. He jumped into a Ranger and they sped off. Tanya and the Professor had boarded the Chinook and had disappeared off in the air. Zach was just glad he had gotten out of another mission alive.  
  
  
  
Zach stretched his aching muscle as he sat down on his bunk. He had stashed his gear and was ready to hit the sack. They had pulled back to a base in Greece, but would probably have to pull out soon. Soviet forces were hitting them hard in the country, and even now Allied forces were retreating. Suddenly, a newspaper flew into his face.  
  
"What the hell!"  
  
He grabbed it and saw Fritz standing before him.  
  
"Read it," he said.  
  
Zach looked at the paper.  
  
Soviet forces are pushing deep into Germany. Currently, the Alliance has been unable to hinder the massive Soviet invasion of Western Europe. The United Nations will soon vote whether to intervene and going in the ongoing war with the Soviet Union. The United States has been urging the UN to respond and authorize full military action against the USSR. Currently, there seems to be little support for the USSR and the vote is expected to favor military and economic support for the Alliance.  
  
"So we lose Greece and possibly Germany and gain the world," said Zach, "Isn't that just great."  
  
"You are an American. Do you think the American government is sincere in wanting to help us?"  
  
"Probably. But the US is staying neutral in this. There has to be some sort of attack on them before they will commit. That's just how the US government thinks. They don't dare move first because they think people will think lesser of them."  
  
"The Soviet Union has already moved," said Fritz, "They've taken Poland and will soon take Greece and possibly Germany, and the American government still frets about public support?"  
  
"Do remember that I am fifty-percent German," said Zach, "The people back in the States fear losing their children to a war fought far away. However, they will most likely see the logic and reason for fighting the Soviets."  
  
"Read page 4," said Fritz.  
  
Zach turned to page 4 and immediately saw the article Fritz wanted him to read.  
  
The United States has declared that it will fire upon and attempt to sink any submarines that are found trespassing past the security line that the US has placed. However, the US Navy has not transferred any ships to the Atlantic, keeping the Pacific Fleet at full strength. Currently, they have not commented upon why.  
  
"Doesn't it seem a bit odd?" Fritz asked.  
  
"So you think the United States is up to something."  
  
"That, or they are just doing this for show."  
  
"Decisions like this aren't made lightly," said Zach, "US-Soviet relations were already shaky. This will break them."  
  
"Perhaps that is not such a bad thing."  
  
Just then, Gunter appeared. "Saddle up boys. The Reds want to play again."  
  
Zach groaned. Just when he was going to get some sleep too. Quickly, he put his gear back on and followed Gunter and Fritz. They got on an APC and were soon on their way.  
  
"I wonder where Commander Rommel is sending us this time," said Zach.  
  
"Probably another damned rescue mission," replied Fritz.  
  
  
  
Colonel Sergey Yazov of the NKVD walked down the corridors of the underground installation. As he passed two guards, they immediately stiffened and waited fearfully for him to pass. Such was the power of the NKVD. Sergey walked into his office. There were briefing papers for him to read. The war with the Allies was going well. Soviet forces were about to take Greece and the Alliance could do nothing about it. He sighed. The research being done here would ensure the power of the Soviet people. One of two major projects, this one had the more destructive potential. Stalin had personally placed him in command of this installation. Sergey looked at the briefing again. A young lieutenant with a rather impressive profile was currently in Stalin's good grace. That was unusual. Perhaps if this lieutenant lived long enough, he might replace that fool Gradenko. Sergey had no idea how such an impeccable had become Marshal of the Soviet Union, but hopefully someone brighter would come along. Or perhaps it was in the NKVD's favor to have a fool be the head of the army. He finished reading the briefing and went onto the progress report. Ah, everything was proceeding according to schedule. Good. Now if only his love life would go as smoothly.  
  
Sergey remembered his time in Germany with a certain young German girl. What was her name? Angel? Something like that. Well, she certainly was an angel in his opinion, the way she was able to hold his attention. But the past was the past, and he had his duty to do.  
  
  
  
"I'm freezing my ass off here," said Zach.  
  
"You Americans curse too much," joked Gunter.  
  
Zach glared at him but remained silent. Two more Rangers appeared with a squad of infantry. It seemed that they needed to destroy an enemy base west of their location. Fritz signaled and they started moving out. Two grenadiers were standing guard but the Ranger fired upon the fuel barrels, blowing them up in the ensuing explosion. Zach fired upon a Soviet infantryman and the enemy soldier fell. Two other German soldiers backed him up, taking down an attack dog and another soldier. Another Ranger appeared, making their total count six. Four of them headed south with a squad trailing behind them. The MCV had already deployed and a power plant had literally sprouted out of the ground. Now an ore refinery was up and the ore truck headed towards the ore field they were standing on. The other two Rangers surged west towards them with two squads following them. A barracks was erected, then another one.  
  
"What's the rush?" Zach asked Fritz.  
  
"We have a convoy coming through the pass in twenty minutes regardless," he answered, "We have to clear out every red before they do or they'll get themselves slaughtered."  
  
Zach followed the squad heading west. The two rangers ran into a group of infantrymen and fell back. The pursuing Soviets ran straight into the Allied squads, getting themselves cut to pieces. A few managed to fire a few bursts from their AK-47s, catching one soldier in the chest and another in the leg. Two medics were traveling with them. The one with the chest wound died a few seconds later while one of the medics started patching up the other one.  
  
"We need to get him back to base sir," said the medic.  
  
Fritz nodded. The injured soldier tried to protest, but Fritz ordered him to go back. He wanted to keep casualties to a minimum. Just then, a team of rocket infantry came up.  
  
"We're to assist with blowing structures," said their leader, another corporal.  
  
Fritz kept them in the rear while the two Rangers and the infantrymen moved slowly towards the enemy base. Zach wondered how the other team was doing. He trudged along a Ranger as they slowly progressed. Suddenly, two grenadiers popped up and lobbed a few grenades at the other Ranger. The gunner inside opened fire, catching one of them in the shoulder, but the two grenades found their target and the vehicle blew apart. Zach and a few others close by ducked to get out of the way of shrapnel. A soldier standing too close was killed in the explosion while another got some in his face. The other Ranger opened fire and shot the other grenadier. Zach walked over and saw that the first grenadier was still alive. He looked at Fritz. Fritz shook his head. Zach nodded and took out his pistol. They could not take prisoners right now. He shot the man in his head, ending the pleas to live.  
  
Zach holstered his pistol and continued walking. They got into another skirmish before they sighted the enemy base. There were at least five squads of enemy troops. No way they could take the base alone. Suddenly, they saw several fuel barrels at the south of the base explode, taking out a structure and killing a few enemy troops. It seemed that the other team had arrived as well.  
  
"Rocket troopers! Open fire on those barrels!" Fritz ordered.  
  
Two missiles streaked towards a group of barrels. The impact tore them apart, causing another chain reaction to damage the construction yard. The Rangers charged in, shooting up many of the Soviet soldiers who were just standing there. Zach and the others followed and attacked the few soldiers still standing. Enemy units appeared from the north, but the now four Rangers were holding their own. They beat off the grenadiers and the squads from the south moved in and killed the remaining guards. The rocket soldiers then opened fire on the structures, blowing apart the power plants, barracks, and kennel with ease. Then, the enemy ore truck returned. The rocket soldiers opened fire, three missiles striking the truck. One must have found the fuel tank, because the truck burst into flames and grinded to a halt. Zach let out a breath of relief. He certainly did not want to try taking out such a vehicle with a rifle.  
  
"We've set charges on their structures," said Fritz, "After we set them off, we're out of here."  
  
The soldiers nodded and waited for the demolition experts to finish their work. Once the charges had been blown, the soldiers quickly retreated back to the base. The Rangers went up north to clear any other enemy units still lingering about and to escort the convoy once it came.  
  
Zach was actually feeling rather well considering that he had just gone through a rather intense battle. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. Sweating when it was cold, he though. Could it get any worse than this? He saw that some of the soldiers were already dragging the bodies of dead Soviet soldiers and burning them. Zach went to one of the barracks set up and found his assigned bunk. He needed to get some damn rest once in a while, and this seemed as good a time as any.  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
Well, let me know what you think. This does follow the storyline of RA1, but there will be some changes. Damn I'm tired.  
  
Z98 


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter two. I'm sure all of you RA1 fans remember this mission as well. There will be some that some of you might not recognize in future chapters.  
  
Chapter 2: Blockade Déjà vu  
  
Zach was on sentry duty. His squad had been stuck here for a week or so. Currently, there had been no Soviet activity. Commander Rommel was away on some assignment and Zach currently did not know what to do. He checked the time again. Eleven bloody o'clock. Another hour and he could hit the sack. Just then, the patrol called in.  
  
"This is Base," Zach said.  
  
"This is patrol 5," said the soldier on the other end, "Nothing in sector two. We're heading home."  
  
"Roger. Out."  
  
Zach scanned the area. So far, they had not had any real excitement ever since that battle with the Soviet contingent. Another hour passed and he finally went to bed.  
  
  
  
Zach woke up at about five, dreading what another day would bring. He put on his clothes and went to get some breakfast. Their base defenses had been strengthened by several gun turrets as well as camo-pillboxes. Just then he saw Commander Rommel walking through the camp. Zach snapped to attention as the commander walked by. He stopped and turned to face Zach.  
  
"Who has the duty been son?"  
  
"Sir everything is calm sir."  
  
Rommel nodded and continued walking. Zach tried to figure out what exactly Rommel had done during his absence. He shook his head and went to get breakfast.  
  
After getting his food, he sat down by Gunter and Fritz.  
  
"Wonder where the commander went," he said.  
  
"Probably some classified assignment," suggested Gunter, "You know the high command. They take everything so seriously. Wonder if they ever laughed at a joke."  
  
"Doubt they have time to laugh," said Fritz.  
  
"Oh no! They got you too?" then in a joking tone, "Careful Zach. If you get promoted you might become a grouch like Fritz here."  
  
Zach cracked a smile before he spooned more soup. He had just finished when the alarm went off. Everything was still for a few seconds before they were all racing out. Zach rushed back to his bunk and got his M-16. The soldiers created a defensive screen and prepared to hold off any attackers. Rangers powered up and moved out to join the perimeter. Just then, a few patrols returned, some with bullet holes in their vehicles. Rommel came out immediately.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Ran into Soviet troops sir," said the patrol leader, "Soviet armor headed this way!"  
  
Rommel nodded. "Rocket infantry, prepare to hold off Soviet armor. But be careful about what you shoot. We have armor reinforcements coming in too."  
  
"What kind?" Fritz asked.  
  
"Panzer Mark IIIs from the 11th Panzer Division."  
  
"Mark IIIs?" Gunter said incredulously, "How long will those things last against heavy tanks?"  
  
"Long enough," said Rommel.  
  
"I thought we cleared this area of Soviet forces," Zach grunted as he ran alongside Gunter.  
  
"Maybe those Soviet bastards have come back for more ja?"  
  
The soldiers waited nervously as time passed by. Two other reconnaissance teams returned, one bearing information on the location of the enemy base. Rommel immediately debriefed them and prepared a plan of attack.  
  
It was almost an hour before the Mark IIIs showed up. They were small tanks with 75mm cannons. There was a total of eight in the battalion.  
  
"We're supposed to use them to take on a Soviet armored regiment?" Zach said incredulously.  
  
"I thought you Americans were optimistic," Fritz commented.  
  
"We're optimistic, but we aren't suicidal."  
  
"I'm sure Commander Rommel will figure something out. He usually does."  
  
  
  
Sergey examined the plans. The man sitting before him was a genius. He made a mental note to recommend that he get some sort of award for coming up with such an idea.  
  
"I will forward it to Moscow," he said, "I am sure that the Kremlin will look upon this project favorably."  
  
The scientist nodded and left. Sergey looked over the designs again. This was what was needed, a weapon that would forever dominate the battlefield for the Soviet people. He cracked his neck, having been in the same position for too long. Sergey put the papers away in their file and sat back. The installation he was in charge of was underground. There were dozens of warehouses filled with the Sarin nerve toxin. Another section stored the uranium ore that the scientists were experimenting with. The installation was connected to a submarine base which they used as a place to launch prototypes of the new Tactical Attack Submarines that were being designed here. This installation was truly the one thing that was not expendable to the Soviet nation, the Rodina. The atomic research was being moved to another installation, which didn't really bother Sergey. Also, the Sarin gas was being stored in other locations now. However, the key research being conducted here was still intact, and would remain so.  
  
  
  
The turret opened fire, blasting apart the Soviet tank. Three more were behind it and provided cover for the infantry from the pillboxes. Two Rangers charged out, too fast for the tanks to hit, razzed the infantry hiding behind the tanks and retreated. Several rocket infantries fired their missiles, knocking out two more tanks before the Mark IIIs finished off the last one. Zach remained back in the base. As a simple rifle infantry, there wasn't much he could do against tanks. Gunter had gotten a missile launcher and had joined the defense while Fritz stayed with Zach in the interiors of the base.  
  
"Wish I could go out there and give them a piece of my mind," said Fritz.  
  
"You might come back in a few pieces," said Zach.  
  
Fritz shrugged. "So you Americans do have a sense of humor."  
  
"Funny, I thought it was you Germans who were cold and emotionless."  
  
The talking was just another way the soldiers were bleeding off the stress they were feeling. Suddenly, they received orders to board the APCs. The soldiers ran out and got on their designated APCs. There were a total of sixteen Mark III Panzers now, and it seemed that the commander wanted to attack. The tanks went off first followed by the APCs. They crossed the small ridge north of the base and approached the enemy base. Zach heard explosions outside and knew that the tanks were engaging Soviet forces. Suddenly, their APC charged in and opened its hatch. They charged out and joined the battle.  
  
Bodies laid everywhere as Zach and Fritz ran into the frail. Rocket infantries fired upon a few surviving Soviet tanks, blowing them to pieces. Zach fired a few bursts from his rifle, catching a Soviet soldier in the head. Fritz fired as well, bringing down a group of them. A grenadier suddenly appeared and tried to grab onto Zach. He kicked him in the groin and knocked the man away with his rifle butt. Zach then ran through the man with his bayonet. He pulled out his bloody blade and continued to fight. The Mark IIIs were engaging another Soviet tank, combining their firepower to bring it to a halt. Zach joined a group of infantry mopping up and hunting down any stray Soviet soldier. They caught a small squadron and mowed them down, taking two themselves. One soldier fell to the ground, a bullet having blown through his head. Blood dripped off his face as he fell, soaking the snow red. Another was hit in the knee but continued firing until five more bullets pierced his chest and finally brought him down. The Soviet soldiers all fell a few seconds later, their bodies collapsed on top of each other.  
  
  
  
Zach was getting back onto the APC when he saw Gunter being carried away on a stretcher. He ran over to see how his friend was doing. Gunter had a patch covering his right shoulder and his leg.  
  
"Hey. What happened?"  
  
"Some bastard clipped me when I wasn't looking," he said, "Think Fritz got him though."  
  
Zach nodded. "You'll be okay. They'll patch you back up."  
  
Gunter smiled weakly before they placed him inside the APC and it drove off. Fritz walked up behind Zach and clapped a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"He'll be okay," he said to him.  
  
Zach nodded again and turned to head back to his APC.  
  
"You know what this was?" Fritz asked as they walked over, "This was blitzkrieg. Lightning war."  
  
"Is that why Commander Rommel wanted to hit so hard so quickly?" Zach asked.  
  
"Yes. The commander knew that the Soviets would concentrate their firepower upon the tanks, so he brought along use and several Rangers. We mowed down their infantry, including their grenadiers which could really do damage to our tanks, and our rocket infantry helped take care of the tanks. Wish we had air support though."  
  
Zach knew what he meant. The Yak fighters the Soviets deployed managed to strafe their base twice before the rocket infantry shot both down. They returned to base and just when the two were about to head to their separate bunks, they were called to Commander Rommel's office. They walked in and saluted.  
  
"At ease gentlemen," said Rommel, "I've just been called to handle a mission regarding a Soviet weapons facility. I'm supposed to gather a team and take them underground to try to find and neutralize some chemical weapons the Soviets are storing there. Corporal Gustoff, you're now Sergeant Gustoff and you're leading the team down. I want you to pick the people that are going with you."  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
"Private Keith, you're being promoted also to Corporal. Both of you are fine soldiers, and I trust that you won't fail in this mission. Dismissed."  
  
"Yes sir!" both said.  
  
They walked outside and went to work immediately. They selected seven other soldiers and a medic to come with them. From there, they boarded two APCs and were on their way to the Soviet installation.  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Hope you liked this one.  
  
Z98 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Toxic Results  
  
Zach was a bit surprised that there were no other enemy units guarding the installation. Snipers had already killed the few enemy soldiers outside as well as the dogs. He looked through he binoculars again. It looked like a sort of research facility, but the structure extended underground as well. He got back in the APC and they were on their way. Outside the compound, they met one of their spies.  
  
"I've been ordered to assist in getting you inside and through the installation without harm," he said.  
  
"That's right," replied Fritz, "We want to come out from down there. Not a nice place to die, I'm told."  
  
"Anyone who has died down there tells no tales."  
  
The spy then walked over and entered a code that opened the door.  
  
"He doesn't seem to have a sense of humor," Zach commented to Fritz.  
  
They followed him inside and took the elevator down.  
  
"Our orders are to kill all enemy units in the installation," said Fritz, "Once we have done so, we are to blow it apart and neutralize the chemical weapons stored here."  
  
They exited the elevator. There was a flame tower just out of range of shooting at them. A few seconds later, two Soviet guards appeared and opened fire upon them. They ducked and one soldier got off a quick burst, killing one of them. The spy suddenly pulled out a pistol and shot the other one in the head. He picked himself up and walked over to a terminal. The flame tower suddenly was lowered into the floor and a hatch closed over it.  
  
"All of the defensive systems can be deactivated providing I get to the proper console," said the agent.  
  
They proceeded down the hallway and suddenly came to an intersection. Two flame towers guarded the way into the main rooms. There were two side corridors that they could go down.  
  
"Stay here," said the agent," I'll go deactivate the flame towers."  
  
He ran down the corridor to the left. After about two minutes, the flame tower on the left was lowered into the floor. The other one still remained. The spy returned and headed down the right corridor. He returned a few seconds later, but the other tower still remained.  
  
"I need one of you go get past that tower by hugging the wall and running across," he said, "There are a few attack dogs that I need to have removed before I can properly do this."  
  
"I'll do it," Zach volunteered.  
  
Fritz nodded and Zach started moving. He stayed next to the wall as he went, and just as he noticed that the flame tower was preparing to fire, he went into a sprint. Suddenly, two attack dogs appeared. Zach fired and both flew and slid towards him, dead. He then approached a larger room. Inside, he saw a technician press a few buttons and activate something. There were several Soviet soldiers inside a massive chamber. He saw a greenish gas fill the chamber and they started choking. About a two minutes later, everyone inside the chamber was dead. Zach moved back into the hallway. Just then, another dog appeared and charged at him. It launched itself at Zach who bat it away with his rifle. He took out his pistol and shot the animal. Zach wiped the sweat of his forehead. This was getting rather exciting. Just then, the other flame tower was deactivated. He peeked out again and saw the spy running towards him with two dogs hot on his trail. The rest of his team appeared and once the agent was behind them, they opened fire, killing everyone and everything inside the room.  
  
"Don't rupture the chamber!" the spy warned.  
  
They stopped firing and surveyed their handiwork.  
  
"I saw those Soviet soldiers killed by their own men," Zach said.  
  
"What you saw was a test of the Sarin gas," said the agent, "That's what we are trying to destroy in this installation. The Soviets have many storage bunkers like this one. This is a rather small installation actually. Come. We have more work to do."  
  
They advanced further and started down a hallway to their left. After a few more firefights in which one soldier was wounded, they came to a large room filled with gas tanks. While the team investigated the room the medic patched up the wounded soldier. The agent walked over to a computer terminal and accessed the database.  
  
"This is one of the storage bays for the gas," he said, "We'll need to set charges and detonate them once we are out of the installation."  
  
"Herman, Allen, place charges," Fritz ordered, "Rest of us, guard duty until they're done."  
  
Zach watched another corridor that left the room with another soldier named Michael. They peered out into the hallway and saw nothing.  
  
"Rather interesting mission this has turned out to be," said Michael.  
  
"You're telling me," said Zach, "Once we blow this place, the Soviets will lose one of their Sarin gas storage centers, and that's fine by me."  
  
They waited a few more minutes before the other two had rigged up the charges. They were about to leave when the doors to the two exits closed down.  
  
"Shit," said Fritz, "What happened?"  
  
"We were detected," said the agent, "Security systems have come on line. I can't override them."  
  
"Is there another way out of this room?" Zach asked.  
  
"Checking. Give me your rifle."  
  
A soldier handed his rifle to the agent. He opened fire on some vents and blew the cover off. He threw the rifle back to the soldier and crawled in.  
  
"This way. If you want to live."  
  
The soldiers followed him as he crawled through the ventilation system. They came to another screen and saw feet run past them. The agent forced the screen apart and crawled out, his pistol in hand. The other soldiers got out and followed him.  
  
"How many soldiers are in this installation?" Fritz asked.  
  
"I don't know," said the agent, "However, they most likely won't be able to call for reinforcements. I believe I was able to disable the radio transceiver."  
  
"Great. Now how do we get out?"  
  
"Come with me," said the agent, "We need to get to the other side of the compound. That might be tricky however."  
  
"What hasn't been," Zach said sarcastically.  
  
The squad ran down the hallways before they ran into a Soviet patrol. After a rather fierce firefight, the German team was able to overcome their opponents. However, two of their own were dead.  
  
"Shit. Agent is down."  
  
"Hey, can you hear me?" Fritz said to the agent, berating himself for not knowing the man's name.  
  
"There's a prison near here," the agent muttered out, "One of my agents and some other soldiers are being held there. Get them out and they can guide you out."  
  
The agent took two more deep breaths before he collapsed completely. Fritz closed his eyes and got up.  
  
"You heard him," he said, "Let's move out!"  
  
The squad ran through the installation. Finally after twenty minutes, they found the prison. There was a NKVD major in command of six Soviet infantries. Fritz signaled for his soldiers to take up positions and they did so. After a few tense seconds, they opened fire, dropping all of them. The squad walked in carefully. Fritz took the major's key and opened the cells. The freed soldiers picked up the weapons of the fallen Soviet soldiers.  
  
"Which one of you is the agent?" Fritz asked.  
  
To their surprise, a young woman stepped forward.  
  
"I am," she said.  
  
This was a surprise for the soldiers, but after seeing what Agent Tanya did, they held back any comments.  
  
"We need a way out of here," said Fritz.  
  
"Come with me," she said, "Where is Christopher?"  
  
"Was that his name? He was shot while guiding us."  
  
The woman nodded and started walking out. The soldiers followed her towards the exit. They ran into two more patrols and found their way to a Mammoth Tank parked in a hanger.  
  
"My god," said Zach, "If we could take this with us."  
  
"We can't," said the agent, "It would attract too much attention. But we can use it for our escape."  
  
The woman climbed up and opened the hatch.  
  
"Wait, what is your name?"  
  
"Katrin," the woman answered before she got in.  
  
The tank started up and the soldiers got out of its way. The Mammoth Tank was somehow able to fit through the hallways. The soldiers followed behind it, using it as a shield. They heard gunfire in front of the tank and then screams. Moments later, the crushed remains of three Soviet soldiers appeared. The soldiers tried to keep their minds off of what they had just seen. The tank entered a large room and drove towards several enemy soldiers. They opened fire with their rifles, trying to stop the tank. There were also two flame towers at the exit. The soldiers were close to the tank when it ran straight into a barrel. There were dozens of fuel barrels in the room as well as some munitions. The entire room erupted into flames and the soldiers ran back into the hallway to avoid getting burned. When they came back, they found the smoking remains of the tank and ashes of the Soviet soldiers. Zach ran over and tried to open the hatch. His hands seemed to light on fire as the hot metal touched his hands. He was finally able to pull the hatch away, his hands blackened by the intense heat. He looked down and found Katrin's left leg pinned down by a large metal bar. Fire was quickly flaring towards her. She was still alive, and tried to reach out.  
  
"Kill me!" she screamed.  
  
Zach grabbed the bar, ignoring the pain of the heat, and managed to shift it aside. He then pulled her out, barely missing the flames. He carried her down, almost falling off the tank in the process. The medic ran over and tended her burnt leg. When the medic tried to examine Zach he shrugged him off. Only when Fritz ordered him to let the medic examine them did he do so. They left the compound and Herman detonated the charges. Part of the underground bunker seemed to collapse and the team headed to the evac point. They boarded the three APCs and returned to friendly territory.  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
I need the briefing information for every mission of both Nod and GDI for the Command and Conquer game. I mean the first one, Gold Edition. Also preferable would be comments on how you beat it and such, as well as any other minor details that any of you found important. Send them to firekris@hotmail.com and label them C&C info. Thanks to anyone who will send me them.  
  
Z98 


	4. Chapter 4

How many of you have beaten the GDI campaign in C&C Gold? There's this mission where you get landed with six grenadiers and an MCV and you have to get past three turrets and a light tank. How do you beat that damn mission! I personally hate that one. But in C&C Gold, I've noticed something. Here is a game that requires you to use a combination of infantry and vehicles to fight a war. You can't just use tanks to take an enemy base, you have to support them with soldiers as well. Now that is a good balance. I don't know how they did it, but they did.  
  
Chapter 4: Recovery  
  
Zach ducked again, barely missing being shot in the head. He looked up and fired his own burst, catching a Soviet soldier. Fritz was a few feet away from him, shooting at several other Soviet soldiers. Two Mark IV Panzer tanks appeared and fired upon the two Soviet tanks. The Soviets were using a new design based on their T-34 tank. Unlike the former, the new T-66 had two 105mm cannons. The Allied Mark IV Panzer was just as heavily armored, but didn't pack as much punch. Speed made up for that. He crouched down again. His hands were in heavy gloves, the burns having finally healed but still slightly sensitive.  
  
The Soviet base they were assaulting was extremely close. Far too close for comfort. What Zach was really worried about was the V-2 missile launchers. Fortunately, after five more minutes, the newly promoted General Rommel would launch a major armored attack. Tanks were amassing south of both bases, and the Mark IVs should have no problem with the Soviet flame towers. The Tesla Coils might become a problem however. A team of Soviet engineers escorted by grenadiers approached the base. Unfortunately for them, they were approaching a position well guarded by camo-pillboxes. The powerful machineguns ripped apart the enemy troops before they even had a chance to react. Zach looked through his binoculars and saw a Tesla Coil fire off a blast of electricity. Smoke started to rise from where the bolt had landed, and he could only assume that the attack had already kicked off. Then he heard calls for reinforcements over the radio. The five tanks in the base raced over and joined in the attack. That was when all soldiers were ordered to board APCs. Zach ran onto an APC nearby and they charged into the base. The machinegun mounted on the APC was blazing away, chopping up Soviet soldiers as they futilely tried to fight back. The three Tesla Coils were in shambles and only one flame tower remained. It exploded after several direct hits from the tanks.  
  
The soldiers charged out of their transports and opened fire upon the Soviet soldiers. Zach threw himself too the ground, dodging several shots aimed in his vicinity. An Allied infantry returned fire, killing two Soviets. Zach opened fire with his rifle as well, killing a few more enemy soldiers. That was when the cease fire order came. Zach was a bit confused at first but obeyed. Then two APCs rolled into base and each stopped by some odd looking structure.  
  
"Secure the area!" Fritz ordered, "I want guards posted around those buildings. Let no Soviets in or out, but be careful. There are hazardous materials in them!"  
  
Zach ran over and took his position. He looked and saw a team of engineers enter each building. After twenty minutes of tense waiting, they came out and nodded to Fritz. Just then, five Chinook helicopters appeared. They unloaded and a dozen of the SA, the German stormtroopers, came out. Several Apaches also appeared and fired upon a few Tesla Coils guarding the pass that led into the area. A dozen tanks and another MCV came down the pass.  
  
"We're to board the Chinooks," Fritz said, "Let's go!"  
  
Zach ran aboard the closest Chinook. One of the officers on board handed him a cup of coffee.  
  
"Thanks," said Zach.  
  
"You guys deserve it," replied the officer, "For what you did here."  
  
"What did we do?"  
  
"Well, technically I shouldn't tell you this, but you deserve to know what this base was for. It's the primary Sarin gas production site, and you guys just took it out."  
  
Zach felt cold. One of the previous missions he had had was to lead a team down and destroy a Sarin gas storage compound. He had seen the Soviets test it on their own men. Well, at least they destroyed the primary manufacturing site. That was good. The Chinooks lifted off, taking the wearily warriors with them back to base.  
  
  
  
He had just woken up after a restful sleep when Fritz started shouting.  
  
"Zach! Suit up. We've got another assignment."  
  
Zach sighed. No rest for the weary. He got into a uniform and followed Fritz to the briefing room. The major in command of their brigade was waiting for them as they all walked in.  
  
"Allied Command has decided that we are going to take back Berlin," said Major Beckham.  
  
That caught the soldiers off guard.  
  
"Yes, we know that the Soviets have heavily fortified the entire area around the city, and we know that they have many troops inside the city. However, that does not mean that we cannot retake the capital. We'll retake the city and we'll keep it too. Yes Private."  
  
"Sir, pardon my language, but how the hell are we supposed to retake Berlin with one division? The Soviets have at least three times that much protecting the city."  
  
"Yes we know that," said Beckham, "But we're attacking with three Panzer divisions and our mechanized infantry division."  
  
The soldiers were still a bit skeptic. The Soviet T-66 was a powerful tank, easily a match for any Allied unit.  
  
"But the nice thing for us is that we won't be attacking the city directly. There's an enemy communications center that we have been assigned to take. It is lightly defended, so we should have no problem."  
  
"Begging your pardon sir, but what exactly is lightly defended?" a soldier asked.  
  
"No armored units, no Tesla Coils, though there will be flame towers. Any other questions?"  
  
"Will we have any armored support?"  
  
"No. This is a straightforward infantry assault. We move out in two hours. Get ready."  
  
The soldiers stood and marched out of the briefing tent. With no armored support, this wasn't going to be too fun. They saw a dozen Rangers get gassed up, but that didn't really relieve them. Rangers were good for infantry, but taking down flame towers would be their job, no matter how difficult it would be.  
  
  
  
Rommel nodded as he listened to General von Esling explain the mission's true objective.  
  
"Certain communications have been routed through this base. We are aware of a spy in the High Command, and we cannot identify him. However, the radar dome in this base may very well point out who is the traitor. We need the information desperately."  
  
"Understood," said Rommel, "My forces will move out immediately."  
  
"Do not destroy the radar dome. We need it intact."  
  
Just then, von Esling received a message from his comm pad. He read it and looked up grimly.  
  
"One of Tanya's men. She's been taken. Tanya has vital information regarding a Soviet project that we must recover. General, you're being reassigned to retrieve her. We'll have another commander take over for the Berlin operation."  
  
"Sir, I'd rather take my men with me to retrieve her."  
  
"There isn't time. You'll be linked by satellite and coordinate our troops in the area. We need your forces where they are to take that comm base."  
  
Stavros suddenly struck the table and stormed off.  
  
"In this condition, he is of no use to us. General, go!"  
  
  
  
Zach had just slung his M-16 over his shoulder when Fritz appeared.  
  
"General Rommel was just assigned to another mission," he said, "A General Montgomery is taking over."  
  
"Who is he?"  
  
"British officer. He's supposed to be good, but I'll believe it when I see it."  
  
The two were joined by three others, two of them rocket infantry. They got on board the APC and started on the road. They would be approaching a jump- off point for the main operation.  
  
"Wonder why there are no armored units guarding the base," Fritz thought out loud.  
  
"Rumor has it that General Rommel commanded a small team that went in and destroyed some bridges, disrupting the Soviet supply and reinforcement convoys."  
  
"It'll make our job a bit easier."  
  
The officers chatted as they drove along. They were still two miles from the base when suddenly an explosion knocked them onto the floor.  
  
"What the hell?" Zach tried to open the door but it was jammed. He fired on the lock and the door gave way. The group charged out. Their APC was a wreck while the two behind them were unloading their troops and giving hell against a group of Soviet soldiers. Zach and the others joined the skirmish, charging the Soviet soldiers. The other soldiers joined them in the charge. Two soldiers went down before the group let loose their rifles, cutting up the enemy troops. Another was shot in the leg before one rocket infantry fired a missile into a group of enemy soldiers killing them. After a few more seconds of silence, the mini-battle was over.  
  
"Ambush," said Fritz, "Body count. Now."  
  
"Lost Wolfe and Hunter," said a soldier, "as well as the driver and gunner of your APC."  
  
"Herman's shot in the knee."  
  
"I'll be fine," the soldier said weakly. Two others assisted him into the one of the undamaged APCs.  
  
"We still have a rendezvous to make. Drive around the wreckage."  
  
Fritz, Zach, and the other three soldiers crammed into the two remaining APCs. It was a tight fit, but that was better than getting left behind. About five minutes later they arrived at base. The soldiers literally fell out of their transports.  
  
"Report," said the base commander.  
  
"Ambush," said Fritz, "We lost four soldiers, one wounded, and an APC."  
  
"Get the wounded into the field hospital. We need rocket infantry to get ready for an attack. General Montgomery wants them to soften up the enemy base for us."  
  
"Soften up the base? What half-ass idea is that?" said Zach.  
  
"Don't question him," said the commander, "General Montgomery knows what he's doing. Unlike your General Rommel, he thinks before he jumps in."  
  
Zach didn't have the rank to talk back, so he just glared at the commander.  
  
"Is there a problem Corpora1?"  
  
"No sir," Zach forced out. He was starting to greatly dislike the commander.  
  
"Good. Because we're sending in two brigades of infantry to assist them. Move out."  
  
Zach's face was red as he walked back to rejoin Fritz.  
  
"That son of a bitch."  
  
"We Germans don't care too much for the British way of war. Most of the attacking soldiers are Germans anyways."  
  
"What are you suggesting?"  
  
"I'm suggesting nothing. Yet."  
  
Zach nodded. He had an idea of what Fritz was up to, but wouldn't voice it. They started marching for the Soviet base. Three Rangers were with their group, prepared to fire and kill any Soviet that showed their head.  
  
  
  
A dozen rocket soldiers had fired their missiles, toppling the flame tower. Another such team was taking out the other flame tower, which exploded a few seconds later. The soldiers poured into the base. Soviet soldiers fired, trying to stop the flood of Allied soldiers. Several fell in the fierce firefight while the ones who got through were soon struggling in a brutal hand-to-hand battle with the Soviets. Fritz smashed a Soviet soldier's jaw with his rifle butt and elbowed another one in the stomach. He had his pistol out and used it when he could, but quickly ran out of ammo. Zach was a few feet away, struggling with another Soviet officer. He punched him in the eye and knifed the soldier in the side. Zach let him drop and joined another small battle.  
  
"All units, fall back," the order suddenly came.  
  
"Repeat," said Fritz, "Repeat order."  
  
"All units fall back immediately. We're taking too many losses."  
  
"Sir, if we fall back we'll give the Soviets time to regroup. We can't do that."  
  
"Fall back Sergeant, that's an order."  
  
Fritz looked around. The few British soldiers with them were retreating, but his fellow German officers were all staying to the end. Suddenly he had an idea.  
  
"Unable to HQ. We're surrounded. Gustoff out."  
  
Fritz heard the British commander swearing over the radio, but turned it off. He then started fighting again, killing two Soviets with a quick burst of his rifle. The remaining German soldiers followed suit and continued to fight, finally gaining the upper hand and killing the remaining guards. Once they had secured the area, Fritz called back to HQ.  
  
"HQ, area is secured. Request backup to fortify immediately."  
  
"Request denied. We don't know if the Soviets have reinforcements. You are ordered to pull back immediately. We'll move in with more forces in an hour or so."  
  
"Sir, that's a mistake. If we give the Soviets that much time, they'll rush in armor and we won't be able to retake the base."  
  
"Request denied. That is a direct order from General Montgomery. Fall back immediately."  
  
Fritz turned off the radio and swore for a few seconds.  
  
"All right. You two, go into the radar dome and copy all information in it. Once we're done, set charges and we'll be out of here. Move it."  
  
He then turned the radio back on. "HQ, we're going for the objective. My men are copying the data from the radar dome, then we'll pull back."  
  
"Sergeant, get back here immediately!"  
  
Fritz again turned off the radio. The British were such fools at times. Their soldiers and generals were so inflexible and they had no initiative whatsoever. A few minutes later the soldiers came out with a box of disks.  
  
"Move out," Fritz ordered.  
  
Suddenly, three Yak fighters appeared.  
  
"Down! Rockets! Open fire!"  
  
The rocket infantry shouldered their launchers and let of five missiles. Three struck the lead Yak, disintegrating it in the ensuing explosion. The second Yak was struck by the other two missiles, losing one wing and crashing into the base. By this time, the other rocket soldiers were ready and fired their missiles. The machinegun on the Yak opened fire, chopping to pieces two soldiers in the way. The missiles found their mark and shredded the plane.  
  
"Fall back now," ordered Fritz.  
  
The soldiers followed him back to where the Rangers were supposed to be, but were gone. The Brits had taken them all when they had retreated. Just then, five APCs appeared. The soldiers crammed in and they were off.  
  
"I thought we weren't supposed to get reinforcements," Fritz said to the driver.  
  
"We're Germans," he replied, "We stick together and that bastard of a general can go to hell."  
  
Fritz nodded. Montgomery had, in his opinion, shown poor tactical judgement and he was quite sure no German soldier would ever want to fight under him.  
  
  
  
Fritz, Zach, and two other corporals were standing before a military tribunal. It seemed odd that the four of them would warrant so much attention from the High Command, but Montgomery was rather angry that they had disobeyed him. Now, he had put them on trial for mutiny. Fortunately for the four, the German Army was annoyed at Montgomery and wanted all German forces under his command transferred back to them and never wanted their soldiers to fight under him again. The judge nodded and the trial began.  
  
End of Chapter 4  
  
Also, how many of you have beaten the Nod campaign in C&C Gold? Well, there's this mission where you have to steal an Orca from a well-defended base. How are you supposed to do that with just the soldiers they give you? I seriously need help in that mission as well.  
  
MAJOR ANNOUCEMENT  
  
The first book of the Angel Chronicles is about to be put up by me. Trust me, this story is worth the wait for me to finish. The first few chapters might not seem like much, but the thing gets very exciting and is going to be long. Also, don't bother looking for it in the sci-fi section. Just connect to my profile to check it out.  
  
Z98 


	5. Chapter 5

Just for the record, I am not racist against the British or anything.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Justice, or a Form of It  
  
"Sergeant Gustoff, you have been charged with disobeying a direct order from your commanding general," said the judge, "How do you plead?"  
  
"Not guilty sir!"  
  
"Corporal Keith, you are also charged with disobeying orders. How do you plead?"  
  
"Not guilty sir!"  
  
The judge repeated the statement with the other two soldiers and both answered the same as Zach and Fritz.  
  
"Very well, duly noted. Does the prosecutor have any questions for the defendants?"  
  
"Yes sir," said the lawyer, a British officer, "We call Sergeant Gustoff to the podium."  
  
Fritz walked over and sat down in the cubicle. A bible was extended and he placed his hand on it.  
  
"I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help be God."  
  
"Sergeant Gustoff. Did you not hear the order from General Montgomery to retreat?"  
  
"Yes sir, I did. And as I have already explained, my men were surrounded and retreating would have allowed the Soviets to cut us into pieces so I made the tactical decision to finish them so we could retreat without fear of pursuit."  
  
"That is beside the point," said the lawyer sharply, "You still disobeyed an order that you should have carried out despite the consequences. I thought you Germans were trained that way."  
  
"Objection, the prosecutor is using the defendant's racial background which has nothing to do with the charges."  
  
"Sustained. Lieutenant, stay on topic."  
  
"Sergeant Gustoff. Even after you had defeated the Soviet soldiers, you still remained for some time before you retreated. How do you explain that?"  
  
"I was ordered to secure information from the radar dome from General Rommel. If I receive two contradictory orders from two commanding officers, I have to choose whichever seems the wisest in the tactical and strategic sense. That is something we Germans are taught."  
  
The lawyer caught the emphasis on Germans and eyed Fritz for a few seconds before continuing.  
  
"General Rommel was not in command of the Allied forces deployed at that location," said the lawyer, "Therefore, you had no reason to even consider his orders."  
  
"General Montgomery is a virtual unknown to us," said Fritz, "We trust General Rommel with our lives, and I would not disrespect such a commanding officer by disregarding his orders just because he was not present. If his orders were for the mission and not countermanded by the present general, therefore I have no reason to disregard them."  
  
"General Montgomery is well-respected by his soldiers and by other Allied generals. If you value your general's judgement so much, shouldn't you have considered his opinion on General Montgomery, which must be at the very least respectable?"  
  
"Objection. The prosecutor is leading the defendant."  
  
"Sustained."  
  
"That's okay your honor," said Fritz, "I'd like to answer this question. But first, I have one of my own. Was General Montgomery the commanding officer defending Siegfreid fort 541?"  
  
The British officer flinched visibly and everyone in the room saw it.  
  
"I see. That fort was lost with most of its defenders because General Montgomery was unwilling to stand and fight or to send reinforcements to plug a hole in his line. I've heard on several occasions from General Rommel himself that General Montgomery was an incompetent tactician. Those are his words, not mine, but I believe them. Why should I consider such a commander's judgement not suspect?"  
  
"You would insult a British general like that?"  
  
"I seem to recall that at three major defeats in Germany were the direct result of British forces unwilling to reinforce troops. I see absolutely no reason not to voice my ideas regarding the British Army's ability to fight."  
  
"I have no further questions your honor," the prosecutor managed to say, his face red with rage.  
  
The trial went on for two more hours before a recess was declared so the five military officers could come to their verdict. Fritz, Zach, and the two other soldiers went outside and got some water. Speaking for two hours and listening to others in a stuffy room was not fun.  
  
"So how do you think they'll vote," Zach asked Fritz.  
  
"If they listen to reason and aren't too stubborn, then we'll be fine. If they act like arrogant old bastards, then we might be in trouble."  
  
"Do you think General Rommel can help us in this one?"  
  
"Besides threatening to defect, I don't think anything is going to get through to them."  
  
Zach grinned. General Rommel was too much of a patriot to betray his country. But then again, he himself was too much of a patriot to his heritage to betray it. After the Soviet Union attacked Europe, Zach had left school and enlisted as a volunteer in the Wehrmacht. He had originally hoped to join in the Sturmabteilung, SA, or otherwise known as stormtroopers of the German Army. However, then he had met Fritz and Gunter and joined the regular army.  
  
"So how are we supposed to get out of this?" Zach asked again.  
  
"We'll get out of it by the General Staff blackmailing Montgomery," said Adolf Feyhrich, another one of the officers charged.  
  
The General Staff was Germany's military heads. They wanted to protect Germany's military interests and therefore keep their authority intact throughout the war. Once Germany was retaken, their importance would only rise as the Mark IV tanks that the Alliance used were German.  
  
About five minutes later the officers were called back in to hear the verdict.  
  
"Not guilty," said the French officer, "The board has come to the conclusion that these officers made the correct tactical decision and did not disobey their commanding officer's orders. Therefore, it is in the board's direct military opinion that these men should be congratulated for getting the information they needed without having to compromise the chain of command."  
  
The British lawyer looked like he was about to burst.  
  
"We appeal the court to reconsider," he demanded.  
  
"Declined," said the judge, "We are fighting a war here. There is no time for political games and it is also in my opinion that these officers did the right thing in getting the information. I am sure that it will be invaluable. Court dismissed."  
  
Fritz flashed a smile at the British officer as they passed him. It was nice to win.  
  
  
  
Fritz and Zach were standing in front of General Rommel in his command center.  
  
"From what I heard, you insulted a British general, added salt to the wound, and then had the gull to mock a British lawyer and in the process piss off the British High Command. Am I right?"  
  
"Yes sir," said Fritz, "Though I was the one who did that sir. Corporal Keith had no part in it."  
  
"Really? A pity. I was intending on congratulating both of you on a job well done."  
  
"Sir?" Zach said.  
  
"The British Territorial Army hasn't made that much of a contribution to the war yet. They have yet to move against Soviet forces in great numbers. But we Germans and French have crushed two Soviet armies and are even now preparing to retake Berlin. Therefore, it was nice to have someone tell them to their face that they've been screwing up ever since this war started. Both of you are dismissed and get ready for the attack on Berlin. Our armored forces can't get into the city and this is going to be a grunt job."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Zach started to move but Fritz remained at his spot.  
  
"Something else Sergeant?" Rommel asked.  
  
"Yes sir. May I ask a question?"  
  
"If it's regarding why I was away I'm afraid it's classified," Rommel answered before Fritz could ask, "But maybe someday you'll find out about it."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Fritz followed Zach out of the command center.  
  
"Nice to know we have a real commander," said Zach.  
  
"Tell me about it. The orders for us have probably already filtered down. Let's take a look."  
  
Zach nodded. They returned to their barracks and indeed an order envelope was on Fritz's bed. He tore the seal and took out the orders.  
  
Wehrmacht 34th Mechanized Infantry Division  
  
4th Battalion  
  
Ordered to attack city from north and create an encirclement of Soviet forces in city. Prevent Soviet forces from destroying city.  
  
"Well that's simple enough."  
  
"It's going to be pretty rough in the city," said Zach.  
  
"Urban warfare is ugly. But I'm pretty sure we can handle it."  
  
"When do we move out?"  
  
"Tomorrow. We'll have vehicle support with the Ranger jeeps, but I don't know how effective they will be."  
  
"The machinegun will come in handy."  
  
"If we can get it into the city," Fritz noted dryly.  
  
"We're the cannon fodder again," said Zach, "But we've made it this far okay."  
  
"Let's just hope we don't fail in this assault. If we take Berlin, we also ensure that the Soviets have no way of ever driving into France."  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
Z98 


	6. Chapter 6

I actually forgot to save this chapter separately and that explains the lateness of the update. But look at it this way. You get three whole chapters to read now.  
  
Chapter 6: Berlin Surprise  
  
Another Yak fighter was felled by the rocket infantry. Two Mark IV tanks crawled into the city and fired on a Soviet position. The two Soviet soldiers were blasted to pieces. Zach, Fritz, and their battalion were behind the tank. It provided good cover and they also watched the rear just in case any Soviet soldiers got any ideas. Two Allied fighters were in the air. The new Meteor jet fighter that the British Royal Air Force had was a very nice addition to the Allied arsenal. The British Army might not be top quality, but at least their air force was exceptional. A Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter was flying alongside its British counterpart. The German Luftwaffe also had such toys. They peeled away and went in search of enemy armor or aircraft to destroy. So far, the Soviets had not fielded any sort of jet fighters, but it was inevitable that they would build one. However, for now, the Alliance had the edge in air battles.  
  
Zach opened fire on a group of Soviet grenadiers trying to get close enough to destroy the two tanks. With the help of the other soldiers, they were all done before even one got out a grenade. The group got out from behind the tank and quickly ran down the street. Rubble covered it and made their trail difficult to climb through. They saw several other Allied infantry coming their way.  
  
"There's an enemy position a few blocks from here," said Fritz, "We have to take it out."  
  
The soldiers ran through the rubble. Explosions could be heard from battles close by. The German soldiers pressed on and soon saw the enemy position. Soviet engineers had built a bunker on the side of the road. Fritz nodded to the rocket soldiers and the two each fired a missile. One struck the concrete shell of the bunker while the other smashed through the window and exploded inside. Screams could be heard from inside the bunker as the Soviet soldiers fell. The squad charged out and fired on two Soviet soldiers that had gotten out. They then ran over to make sure they had finished their job.  
  
"We're getting close to the center of the city," said Zach, "There should be more resistance."  
  
"Well let's hope there isn't," Fritz replied.  
  
The squad continued deeper into the city. They came upon several Allied squadrons engaged in a fierce firefight with Soviet soldiers inside a home. Three rockets punched through the walls but the building remained standing. The Soviet soldiers just increased their fire.  
  
"Zach, pick off their soldiers," Fritz ordered.  
  
Zach unslung his sniper rifle and took aim. He easily picked out five enemy soldiers. He fired and shot one in the head. The others noticed their fallen comrade and ducked. Zach waited a few more seconds before he got another clear shot. He fired again and another Soviet soldier fell. Suddenly, a white shirt was extended on a rifle. The Soviet soldiers slowly stood up. There were only six remaining. They walked out and dropped their weapons. One of the squadrons took charge and escorted them away. Four other soldiers gathered the weapons.  
  
"We have to take the Chancellery," said Fritz, "It's this way."  
  
The soldiers got up and followed him as he ran down the streets. They got behind another wall and two peered out.  
  
"It looks like the Soviets have the place surrounded," said one of the soldiers.  
  
"How many?" Fritz asked.  
  
"At least three dozen," answered the other soldier, "They also have a tank."  
  
"T-66?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Fritz nodded. With a Mammoth Tank, he would have doubted their ability to retake the Chancellery, but now they had a better chance.  
  
"Fire two rockets at the tank. The rest of us will cause a diversion."  
  
The two rocket soldiers nodded. They loaded their rocket launchers while the other soldiers dispersed and prepared to take on the Soviet guards. Fritz suddenly opened fire and shot down three Soviet soldiers. The two rocket infantries fired their missiles, both striking the turret and blowing it to pieces. The other soldiers opened fire and killed several more. The Soviet soldiers began retreating. Behind Fritz's squad, the two tanks were coming up and fired one round each at the retreating forms, killing several more.  
  
Fritz led five others and Zach into the Chancellery. Several other squads that had arrived followed them inside. Surprisingly, there were few Soviet guards inside. They found several NKVD officers and those were dispatched quickly. They had soon cleared the first floor.  
  
"Zach, get a team together and clear out the upper floors," ordered Fritz, "Vincent, take another team and clear the basements."  
  
The two nodded and headed off. Zach took eight other soldiers and they charged upstairs. He was in the lead as they broke through the door into the halls. There were no soldiers visible in the hallway and the squad moved in. Zach knocked down a door but found nobody inside. He then signaled for the team to continue on their way. The next few rooms were also empty. After they had confirmed that the entire floor was empty, they went upstairs again. The next three floors were also empty and they were finally on the top floor. They found two guards who tried to shot their way through. Unfortunately for them, they both got head shots from Zach and one of the other soldiers. None of their own was hurt. Zach reached the office of the President and rammed down the door.  
  
A Soviet NKVD officer was holding a young man hostage and was yelling away in Russian.  
  
"I have no idea what the hell you're saying," Zach replied.  
  
The Soviet motioned the gun and Zach got the message. However, his rifle and those of his team's stayed up.  
  
"Drop your weapons!" the officer suddenly said in German.  
  
Zach had a shot and he took it. The Soviet officer's gun was pointed slightly away from the woman's head and he fired a single bullet. The bullet ripped through the NKVD officer's head and it nearly exploded. The woman screamed as blood and brains splattered all over her face. She remained standing and shrugged the body of the dead soldier off of her.  
  
"Let's get you out of here," said Zach.  
  
The woman moved away from him, as if afraid. Zach sighed.  
  
"Private, escort the lady out of here," he ordered.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
The woman allowed the private to lead her out. She took one last glance at Zach before she disappeared in the hallway.  
  
"Do any of you think it was a bad idea to shoot that NKVD officer?" he asked the others.  
  
"It was either that or let that woman die," said another soldier.  
  
Zach shrugged. He led the rest of the team downstairs. A truck had come in to take wounded away and the woman was being cleaned up at the truck. She kept looking at Zach and it started to make him uncomfortable.  
  
"Hey. So you're the lucky guy she was looking for," said Fritz.  
  
Zach turned his head and saw his friend standing by his side.  
  
"Do you know what happened up there?" he asked Fritz.  
  
"Yeah. Tough call, but at least it turned out all right."  
  
"I might have missed."  
  
"Then you would have had your ass chewed by General Rommel," said Fritz, "But you didn't and you'll probably get some sort of reward for it."  
  
Suddenly they heard the roar of jets in the air. They looked up and saw the Me 262 race by overhead, the Meteor right behind it. Then another jet appeared, this one more advanced looking, and it fired two missiles at the two jets in front. Both struck the Meteor while the Me 262 banked and managed to get out of the way.  
  
"What the hell," muttered Fritz.  
  
The mysterious jet returned and fired three missiles at two tanks. They three struck dead on and destroyed one tank completely while setting fire to another one. It exploded moments later.  
  
"Was that what I think it was?" Zach asked.  
  
"Looks like the Soviets finally developed a jet fighter," said Fritz.  
  
The fighter made another pass before peeling off and disappearing.  
  
  
  
"They call it MiG," said Stavros, "The Soviets have several squadrons of them ready for deployment and they just tested one of their squadrons against our Berlin forces."  
  
"How bad was the damage?" Esling asked.  
  
"Not as bad as it might have been."  
  
A communications screen activated and Rommel's face appeared.  
  
"General Rommel," Esling greeted, "The information your men gathered from the Soviet communications center has proved invaluable. The young sergeant was correct to get it before they pulled out. We have decrypted part of it and we have made an interesting development. You know of the jet fighter that the Soviets have deployed against us."  
  
"That same sergeant saw it in action," said Rommel, "His squadron was outside the Chancellery when it attacked his men."  
  
"Ah. Well, the fighter is called a MiG. It is a very advanced jet fighter, beyond even our Me 262. We must capture one and study it."  
  
"I assume you want me to lead a force to do this," said Rommel.  
  
"Yes. The information your men retrieved has shown us the location of the airbase where the MiG squadron is based in Germany. I want you to send in a small tactical team to capture the base."  
  
"Is Agent Tanya available for this mission?"  
  
"No," said Stavros, "She's too hurt to be moved."  
  
"Unfortunate. I'll assemble a team immediately."  
  
"Please hurry," said Esling. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: MiG Prototype  
  
Zach was returning from another skirmish on the city outskirts. His team had taken on one Soviet pocket after another. The death toils were rising but Berlin was in Alliance hands and that made it worth it. An entire tank division was stationed in the city while two others were holding off Soviet armor trying to retake Berlin. Zach was cut on his hand and was getting a bandage when a nurse ran into him.  
  
"Sorry ma'am," he automatically burst out in English.  
  
"Excuse me?" The nurse said in her accented English. It was obvious that she spoke German better so Zach switched back to it.  
  
"Sorry ma'am," he repeated.  
  
"It's nothing," said the nurse, "Are you hurt?"  
  
"Just a minor cut," said Zach, "I'll take care of it."  
  
"No need," said the nurse, "I'm supposed to help with injuries and I can wrap that up for you."  
  
"Appreciate it ma'am."  
  
The nurse examined the cut as she continued speaking.  
  
"You aren't from around here, are you?"  
  
"No ma'am. I'm with the 34th Mechanized. I'm actually an American."  
  
"Your German is superb."  
  
"I would hope so. My parents taught it to me."  
  
The nurse wrapped the wound tightly and made sure the bandage would stay.  
  
"There."  
  
"Thanks ma'am."  
  
"My name is Angelica," said the nurse, "Ma'am makes me sound old."  
  
"Sorry, Angelica. I have to go now."  
  
Angelica nodded and Zach went to rejoin his squad. He had just received another call-up. It was probably another stubborn pocket.  
  
Angelica turned and put away the things she had used. One of her friends walked up to her.  
  
"Do you know who that was?" Rachel asked her friend.  
  
Angelica shook her head.  
  
"That was the American who actually hit a NKVD officer holding a hostage and kept the hostage unharmed."  
  
"That was him?" said Angelica, "He must be a pretty good shot."  
  
"And good looking too."  
  
"Is that all you look for in a man?" Angelica asked.  
  
"Well, what else do you look for?"  
  
"Understanding, kind, helpful."  
  
"Dream on girl. That's the guy all of us want but none of us will get."  
  
  
  
Zach met the others at the barracks.  
  
"General Rommel was just ordered out on another mission," said Fritz, "And he's taking our squad with him."  
  
"So what requires the General's attention this time?" asked Zach.  
  
"Remember that jet fighter that we saw a few days ago? Well, the High Command wants us to capture one."  
  
"How are we supposed to catch a fighter?" Zach asked.  
  
Fritz shrugged. "I assume that General Rommel has a decent plan."  
  
A private ran up to them and handed an order envelope to Fritz. Fritz tore it open and examined the paper.  
  
"He's taking in a small team," said Fritz, "It can't be a large attack. I've been ordered to lead the team."  
  
"Am I coming with you?"  
  
"No. You're to stay behind. Congratulations Sergeant, you just inherited my command for the duration of my abscense."  
  
"Make sure the abscense is only temporary," Zach said and saluted his friend.  
  
Fritz returned it and got his equipment.  
  
"So where the hell am I supposed to go?" Zach asked.  
  
"You're going to Hamburg," replied Fritz, "The Soviets just don't want to leave the city. They want our forces to go in and knock them out. Don't worry. General Rommel will be with you guys."  
  
"So who's commanding your forces?"  
  
"General Charles de Gaulle."  
  
Fritz ran off to his transport. Zach watched his friend leave and went to assemble his squad. After a weapons check, they boarded their transports and were soon on the move."  
  
  
  
Fritz was in command of one of three teams. There was a German SA team as well as a French team.  
  
"Gentlemen, this mission is rather important to the high command," said the French colonel, "We are to capture intact a MiG fighter so that our engineers can figure out how the Soviets built it so well and most likely duplicate it so we can use their weapon against them. As you all know, the Soviets have already engaged several of our jet squadrons, and their fighters smashed our formations. It's time we give them bloody hell."  
  
Actually, few of the soldiers knew of the disastrous air battles, but they certainly agreed with the French officer. It was time to fight back hard.  
  
"The Soviet airbase is lightly defended because the Soviets are trying to ensure that Hamburg remains in their hands until they can get armored reinforcements into Germany. But thanks to General Rommel, we've managed to cut the Soviets off and they're having to fight through our armored forces to even get into Germany. Now we need to keep it that way. Once we crush this army, Stalin will have one less to throw at us. Dismissed!"  
  
The soldiers all returned to their APCs and soon the vehicles were rolling along.  
  
"Basically, we're the support team," Fritz informed his squad, "The French team will move in first and take draw their fire. Then we move in and supply cover fire while the SA drops in behind them and basically trap them in a pocket. There are eight MiG fighters and we need at least one intact. That means we have to move in fast."  
  
"Has anyone ever tried to capture an enemy fighter on the ground?"  
  
"No, and I doubt we'll get lucky. But just maybe we might be able to capture one of those fighters."  
  
The rest of the ride was in silence. No matter what, this was going to get nasty. The enemy forces would resist savagely and there was no way they would get through this unhurt. The French had the toughest job. After about fifteen minutes the APCs stopped and they unloaded.  
  
"All right," said the colonel, "Team 1, move into position. Team 2 and 3, prepare to support them. There aren't that many Soviet guards, but there is enough."  
  
  
  
Zach and the rest of the team had boarded air freighters and were being moved to near Hamburg. Two armored regiments were already on site and just needed infantry support. There was still some Soviet armor holed up in the city but Soviet soldiers kept up such heavy resistance that the Allied tanks withdrew after losing half of their strength. Now reinforced, they would move in again.  
  
The air freighter landed and Zach and his troops disembarked. Their equipment was unloaded and they now had to get ready to go into the city. Apache Longbow helicopters flew overhead them. They would be able to provide minimal support but at least it would be support.  
  
"All right! Get your equipment and get ready to move out!"  
  
The soldiers nodded and got to work. They would be only one of several dozen squads being sent in but they had to do everything they could. Otherwise Hamburg would take a very long time to surrender.  
  
  
  
Fritz waited as the French soldiers crept up to the base. They quickly took down five enemy soldiers but the base was now aware that it was under attack. Alarms activated and started blasting away. Fritz's soldiers ran down and killed several Soviet soldiers running out of the barracks. Two rocket soldiers fired and destroyed the structures. The SA team seemed to appear out of nowhere and blasted away at the enemy positions. Two machinegun posts were destroyed while two others came under fire from them. The French soldiers took on a Soviet grenadier team and killed the group before they could throw any grenades. Fritz's team slowly converged and moped up a few other Soviet soldiers trying to reach the site of the battle. A few minutes later and it was all over.  
  
"Casualties," said the SA commander.  
  
"I lost two," said Fritz.  
  
"Eight," added the French commander.  
  
"I lost one. Let's secure the area. Armored forces will move arrive in about five minutes. Until then, we're on our own. Let's not let the Soviets to blow anything up."  
  
  
  
Zach and his soldiers were backed up by three Rangers. The Rangers opened fire with their machineguns and pelted the buildings with bullets. Zach fired another burst from his M-16 and killed a Soviet soldier about to shoot.  
  
"This is fucking ridiculous," he cursed.  
  
His team was pinned down by an entire battalion of Soviet soldiers. Fortunately, none of the enemy soldiers had grenades with them. That was about the only good thing. He could see a tank starting to move towards them. Another gunner was shot and fell off the Ranger.  
  
"Karl, man the machinegun!" he shouted.  
  
The soldier next to him crawled over to the vehicle and got on it. He let loose with the gun and chopped to pieces three soldiers approaching them.  
  
"Herman, get your missiles ready. I see T-66 headed for us!"  
  
The soldier nodded and unslung his bazooka. He loaded a missile and waited for the tank to appear. Ten more enemy soldiers appeared and opened fire on their position. Zach aimed with his sniper rifle and killed three in a matter of seconds. He crouched back down and barely missed getting shot.  
  
"HQ, this is Sergeant Keith. We need reinforcements. My men are pinned down and the Soviets are bringing armor against us."  
  
A cannon blast struck the other side of the slope and rained dust all over them.  
  
"Shit. Does anybody copy?"  
  
"We read you. All forces are currently engaged. Reinforcements are moving into the city. Hang on."  
  
"Hang on! What the fuck advice is that! We are hanging on!"  
  
Karl fired his missile and it blew apart the turret of the tank. He immediately dropped down, the ridge catching lots of bullets.  
  
"This is no fun," said Zach.  
  
He got up and threw one of his grenades. Several Soviet soldiers tried to dive out of the way but were struck and killed. He fired three quick bursts from his sniper rifle and dropped down again, not bothering to see if they hit or not. Three other soldiers a few feet away opened fire as well, killing several exposed Soviet soldiers. Dozens of flashes from rifles erupted. The firefight was a stalemate but it was the German forces that were trapped. The Soviet forces continued to pour more soldiers in.  
  
"Shit. We need reinforcements HQ, or we're going to die."  
  
"Roger that. Reinforcements are en route."  
  
Suddenly an Apache appeared and let loose its machinegun. The Soviet soldiers dropped like flies in its wake of fire. Soon a path was cleared of Soviet soldiers. It then fired its missiles, taking out several enemy positions and then it left.  
  
"All units! Counterattack!"  
  
The German soldiers surged out and caught the Soviets by surprise. Most were killed before they could react. They quickly retreated. Just then, another helicopter appeared and this one wasn't an Apache.  
  
"Fuck! Get under cover!" screamed Zach.  
  
The German soldiers all ran for the buildings when the Hind let loose with its gattling gun. Its casings ran down on the ground, creating a ringing noise. Two German soldiers were completely shot up, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. The Hind then turned its attention to the other soldiers in the buildings. The bullets nearly broke through the stone buildings. All of the German soldiers were keeping low, trying to not get hit by the ferocious gunfire.  
  
End of Chapter 7  
  
Z98 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Hamburg Melee  
  
Zach kept his head down as the Hind continued to spew bullets against the building. It finally stopped and flew off to reload.  
  
"Fuck!" he screamed, "Body count."  
  
"Three dead!" yelled Karl, "Two were caught outside. Another got hit by a stray bullet."  
  
"Shit. Let's get out of here. Where are we in the city?"  
  
"Pretty deep," answered a private, "We have a lot of ground to cover to get out."  
  
"All right. All units move out. We need to get back to friendly territory."  
  
The soldiers ran outside and looked around. There were no Soviet soldiers waiting for them.  
  
"HQ, this is Sergeant Keith. My men need transport out of the city."  
  
All he got in reply was static.  
  
"We're on our own," said Zach, "Move out."  
  
The soldiers quickly moved out of the street. They peeked out from behind buildings in search of any Soviet soldiers. Fortunately, there were none for the first several minutes. They walked through the city, trying to find friendly forces. Suddenly someone started firing on them. They dropped down immediately. Machinegun fire raked them again. Zach looked around and spotted the gun post. There were two men there. He got his sniper rifle out and took aim. A quick shot ran out and struck the Soviet gunner in the forehead. He quickly aimed again and fired on the loader. The bullet struck him in his heart. More gunfire started. Zach looked back and saw several Soviet soldiers converging on his position. He raised his M-16 and prepared to open fire once the enemy troops got in range. The other soldiers didn't wait and opened fire immediately. They dropped two Soviets while the others ducked for cover. The two sides traded shots for several minutes before Zach ordered a retreat. The troops slowly fell back to another position, this one better suited for defense. The Soviets were suddenly caught out in the open and they realized their mistake. They tried to run back but were shot in the back. Zach looked forward and didn't see any enemy troops.  
  
"Move out," he ordered, "Let's get back to friendly lines."  
  
Suddenly his radio cracked to life.  
  
"Sergeant Keith, this is HQ. Do you copy?"  
  
"HQ, this is Sergeant Keith. I read you."  
  
"Sergeant, Soviet tanks are trying to get into the city. There's only one road junction that leads into the city and is free of debris and they control it. We need you to do something about it."  
  
"Roger. Where is this road?"  
  
The officer on the other end gave him the location and signed off.  
  
"All units, we have a road junction to block. Move out."  
  
The soldiers got up and turned around. Instead of getting back to safe territory, they had to go up against Soviet armor. None of them grumbled. They were professional soldiers and if they didn't do the dirty work than no one would. Certainly not the politicians that made all of the decisions. As they ran they heard no sounds of guns or bullets. That was rather fortunate considering all they had been through already. The troops still stayed low in order to avoid enemy fire just in case. They stopped at another block behind some fallen debris. Two soldiers looked around the bend and didn't see any soldiers. They slowly crept out. Suddenly gunfire riddled them. One soldier was hit in the leg while another was shot up in the chest. Zach pulled back the other man behind the debris. Gunfire continued to pelt them for several more seconds.  
  
"Where the hell did that come from!"  
  
"A block down," said Herman, "Looks like a team of Soviet infantry. They've holed up there."  
  
Zach peered up and saw what Herman was talking about.  
  
"Shit. Herman, Karl, lock and load. Fire two missiles at them. We need to drive them out."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
The two soldiers shouldered their bazookas and fired. One of the missiles struck the side of the Soviet position while the other one hit dead center. Two Soviets were blown out of the position while another just plain exploded. Three others ran out. That was just what Zach was waiting for. He dropped one with his sniper rifle while the other troops fired with their M-16s. The Soviets fired back and a lucky shot caught a soldier in his head. Zach aimed again and dropped another Soviet. The last one was taken down by five different rifles. Zach quickly ran over to the downed soldier. He checked a pulse but shook his head. The man was dead.  
  
"HQ, this is Sergeant Keith. I need reinforcements if I'm to block that junction," he said.  
  
"Acknowledged Sergeant. Two more teams are being coptered in to reinforce you. Load dead and wounded onto them. ETA, 5 minutes."  
  
Zach switched off the radio and looked out again.  
  
"We stay here for five minutes," he said, "Reinforcements are coming."  
  
Zach settled down and waited for the backup. There was nothing he could do about any of this right now. Karl bandaged the other soldier's leg wound and tried to make him comfortable. The other body was dragged behind the debris and laid with the soldier that got shot in the head. There was no way either of them could have made it but it was still painful. Finally the sound of helicopters came. Two Chinooks appeared and one landed in the only clear zone. A group of SA soldiers came out with two medics. The two medics loaded up the wounded soldier and the two bodies and the Chinook took off. The other Chinook landed and another team of SA soldiers came out.  
  
"You're Sergeant Keith?" one asked Zach.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"I'm Corporal Berman. I have orders to assist you in blocking a road juncture that the Soviets are using."  
  
"All right. We have to move out now. I'm not going to be a sitting target."  
  
The SA units got their equipment assembled and followed Zach's team. They ran through the streets and miraculously avoided any enemy troops. The team was rather large and that provided some protection. Suddenly Zach and his team dropped. The SA units followed their example. Zach and two soldiers crawled up and looked around. There was a Soviet tank parked a block away but it was looking the other way. Two grenadiers were standing by it. Zach signaled and Karl and Herman came up.  
  
"I want you two to take out the tank after you see the two grenadiers drop," he said, "Michel, take the grenadier on the right."  
  
The three soldiers nodded. Zach aimed with his sniper rifle and nodded to Michel. Two seconds later both of the enemy soldiers fell. Karl and Herman let loose their missiles, both striking on target and destroying the enemy tank. Soviet soldiers ran out into the open towards them and the other soldiers opened fire. Zach picked off several with his sniper rifle but it wasn't enough. He raised his rifle and fired everything he had at the rushing troops. The SA units broke off into several pairs and seemed to disappear. They reappeared a few feet away and ambushed five Soviet soldiers. They then ran off and did the same trick again. After several minutes a silence laid in.  
  
"Casualties," Zach asked.  
  
"None. We got lucky this time Sergeant."  
  
"All right. The junction is half a mile away. Soviet armor is scheduled to move into the city in half an hour. Let's try not to let them through."  
  
They followed Zach as he headed towards the junction. They stayed against the wall in fear of being attacked by enemy troops. However, there seemed to be no such problems. Zach looked around and continued walking. So far no enemy troops were following them or were ahead of them. They were rather close to the road junction to not have encountered much more resistance. Just then machinegun fire was directed to them. The soldiers got behind walls and rubble and waited until the sound stopped. Two soldiers looked up and saw five machinegun positions guarding the junction. Zach took out his sniper rifle and quickly killed the three soldiers at one of the posts. Two more Soviet soldiers quickly took up position of the three dead soldiers.  
  
"Herman, missile into that position," ordered Zach.  
  
Herman placed his bazooka on the debris and carefully aimed. He let loose a missile which struck the machinegun and exploded, taking the two soldiers with it. Bullets strafed where Herman originally was but he had managed to duck. Karl followed his example and fired another missile into a Soviet position. Six other soldiers started throwing their grenades and destroyed two more positions. Now the last one was firing everything it had everywhere. A SA soldier ran up and threw another grenade but got caught in a burst from the machinegun. Two seconds later the last machinegun exploded.  
  
"Quickly," said Zach, "Place charges and let's create a roadblock."  
  
"Too late," observed the SA commander.  
  
Zach looked over and saw a Mammoth Tank coming out of the dust.  
  
"Shit. Herman! Karl! Blow that thing to hell!"  
  
Five separate missiles struck the massive tank but it continued to roll. It fired two missiles which struck Karl and blew him to pieces. Grenades were thrown at the massive beast but they could not penetrate the armor.  
  
"Sir, if we stop that tank here, the Soviets won't be able to get any other tanks around it," said Berman.  
  
Zach nodded. He ran off to the side and rolled behind the remains of a wall. The Mammoth Tank's turret was turned the other way and Zach ran up to it. It suddenly turned at him and fired two missiles but he dropped to his stomach and the missiles flew past him. He threw a grenade under the tank and got out of the way. An explosion under it seemed to slow it but it kept going. Zach then ran up to the gun and slid a grenade down the barrel. He quickly sprinted away. A few seconds later the entire turret blew up and the tank ground to a halt. Two other tanks could be seen behind it but they were stuck. They fired their missiles at Zach but he jumped under some concrete and managed to survive with some scratches. Two more missiles truck the tank behind the destroyed one but again the armor was too thick. Herman had sneaked up to the side of the second tank and fired a missile at the treads. It destroyed part of it and that tank also was dead.  
  
"Fall back!" Zach ordered.  
  
The soldiers quickly retreated while the frustrated Soviet soldiers could do nothing to get the two damaged tanks out of the way.  
  
"HQ, Sergeant Keith. Mission accomplished. Soviet armor stuck at the junction."  
  
"Acknowledged. Good work Sergeant."  
  
A few minutes later five Apaches appeared and poured their missiles upon the T-66 tanks behind the three Mammoth Tanks. The Soviet forces had suffered another disastrous defeat.  
  
  
  
Zach and his team were making their way out of the city when they came under fire again.  
  
"Shit. HQ, my troops need transportation out of here," said Zach.  
  
"Sergeant Keith, this is General Rommel. APCs and light armor are headed towards your position. Remain where you are and the transports will reach you."  
  
"Understood General. All units! Get into the buildings! Reinforcements are on the way!"  
  
The soldiers ran into the buildings and then upstairs. They traded shots with Soviet soldiers in other buildings and on the roofs. Zach used his sniper rifle to pick off enemy troops as they showed their heads. The soldiers stayed buckled down and did their best to avoid enemy fire while at the same time kill their harassers. A soldier next to Zach got clipped in the shoulder and Zach pulled him back further into the building.  
  
Finally after twenty minutes APCs and two light tanks appeared. The light tanks opened fire upon the enemy troops and killed dozens of them. More were flushed out and the machineguns on the APCs chewed them to pieces. Zach and another soldier carried the wounded soldier down to the APC and got in themselves. He then saw five of his soldiers not boarding.  
  
"Why aren't they boarding!" he yelled to the driver.  
  
"We don't have enough room," answered the driver.  
  
"Fuck this. If they aren't leaving then neither am I."  
  
He got out and joined his soldiers.  
  
"Let's get the hell out of here together," he said.  
  
The soldiers saluted and they started running behind the convoy. The tanks and APCs quickly drove through the streets but Zach and his troops were too slow. They kept running through the rocks and concrete towards friendly territory.  
  
  
  
Rommel listened to the commanding officer's explanation.  
  
"If you don't bloody decorate the boy, we will," said General Richard O'Connor.  
  
Rommel allowed a smile to show. O'Connor was one of the few British officers he respected.  
  
"I'm sure the Wehrmacht will have something for him."  
  
  
  
Zach and his exhausted team finally entered the Allied base. After walking eight miles they had made it to friendly territory. To their surprise, dozens of officers and soldiers were there to greet them. Zach nearly collapsed but two of his squad members that had ridden back on the APC held him up.  
  
"General Rommel wants to see you," one said.  
  
They helped him into the general's office. Rommel stood when he saw Zach and the other soldiers enter.  
  
"Sergeant Keith. Think you can stand for five more minutes?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Good. It is my privilege to award you the Knight's Cross 1st Class for bravery under fire and beyond the call of duty. You stayed with your men even when you could have gotten out and walked back with them through enemy territory."  
  
Rommel pinned a cross onto Zach's uniform and saluted him. Zach returned it.  
  
"Congratulations Sergeant. Now go get some rest. You've earned it."  
  
The soldiers inside and outside the office cheered as Zach nodded and left the room. He was literally carried by three of his friends to the barracks. Two minutes later he was fast asleep while his fellow teammates told of how they got into this mess and Zach had led them out.  
  
End of Chapter 8  
  
Z98 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Eve of Attack  
  
Zach could not believe he was actually able to get a decent amount of sleep. But that was probably about to end. Right now he was on yet another plane to some Allied base. General Rommel had been ordered to attack and destroy a Soviet base again.  
  
"So what's so important about this Soviet base?" Zach asked Fritz.  
  
"It's probably because of the Red tech centers. Most likely we need to capture some information."  
  
"By the way, how did the MiG job go?"  
  
"Rather well actually," said Fritz, "They're probably tearing it apart as we speak. You know, the U.S. Air Force just unveiled a new jet fighter themselves."  
  
"Yeah. I read about it. The F-4 Phantom. Supposed to be effective and powerful."  
  
"So how has everything gone for you? I see you won the Knight's Cross. 1st class too."  
  
"It was because of the Hamburg fighting," said Zach, "Very vicious. I'm rather surprised that we won."  
  
"Don't be," Fritz responded, "There was a General Richard O'Connor, British chap, and probably one of the best they have, who was supporting our forces. He did rather well and assisted General Rommel in a rather spectacular maneuver that cut off Soviet reinforcement and destroyed them completely."  
  
"I guess he's the only British general that can fight as well as he can talk."  
  
"More so actually," said Fritz, "The plane's landing in a few minutes. Get your equipment ready."  
  
"My equipment's been ready ever since I got onto this damn plan," complained Zach, "This Soviet base had better be worth it if we're going this far north."  
  
"Intelligence operations are never easy," said Fritz, "I should know, considering I did have to steal a MiG."  
  
The plane slowed down and landed on the airfield. After a few bumpy minutes it powered down its engine and the soldiers disembarked. Three other planes were right behind them carrying vehicles and some tanks.  
  
"Welcome to Norway," said the base commander, "Now your mission is to infiltrate two of our spies into two Soviet tech centers to learn what the hell the commies are up to. I have heard that you troops under General Rommel are superb soldiers and I do not doubt that. It seems that even my daughter has run into one of you. Now, I'm supplying you with a MCV and all the other vehicles will be landing shortly. Don't screw this up. Dismissed!"  
  
"Wonder who his daughter is," said Fritz.  
  
"Probably some civilian that we met in Berlin or Hamburg."  
  
"Let's just hope that it wasn't the girl who you blew the head of an NKVD officer to save."  
  
"God forbid," said Zach, "I would never want to face their family."  
  
A convoy then pulled into the base. Three of the trucks were carrying medical supplies and several nurses got off. The men started cheering.  
  
"Anyone who touches my daughter will be court-martialed!" the base commander suddenly yelled.  
  
That shut up all of the men. One of the nurses walked over and gave the commander a hug. Zach gasped.  
  
"What?" asked Fritz.  
  
"That's the woman who bandaged my hand," said Zach, "during the Berlin fighting."  
  
"Jeez. Well, why don't you introduce yourself to her again?"  
  
"You heard the base commander."  
  
"You are a sergeant that won the Knight's Cross 1st Class. If that's not going to impress the commander I don't know what will."  
  
  
  
"Those two soldiers over there are looking at you," Major Hans Roering said to his daughter.  
  
"I think I met one of them during the Berlin fighting," said Angelica, "The one with that cross pinned to his chest."  
  
"You mean the one with the Knight's Cross?"  
  
"Is that what it is? Hmm. I couldn't tell from this distance. Were you serious when you threatened to court-martial anyone who touched me?"  
  
"I guess a few of them may be honorable enough for me to accept. Just be careful Angelica. You're still a young girl."  
  
"Don't I know it."  
  
Zach approached them nervously with Fritz nearly pushing him.  
  
"Hello Angelica," he greeted her.  
  
"Hello Sergeant. I see you've seen some action since last we met," Angelica said, indicating the Knight's Cross.  
  
"I got it for an operation in Hamburg," Zach said modestly, "I was just trying to do what any good commander would."  
  
"Considering that so few soldiers of your rank get them, there aren't enough good commanders," said Hans, "This is my daughter, Angelica Roering."  
  
"We met in Berlin," Zach said, "She bandaged a wound on my hand."  
  
"Where did you get those burns?" Angelica asked, "I forgot to ask you."  
  
"Zach here pulled out an agent of ours trapped in a burning tank," Fritz said. Zach gave him a look but Fritz ignored it.  
  
"Is that true?" Angelica asked, surprised, "I thought you got it from a fire or touching something hot, but pulling someone out of a burning tank?"  
  
"It was nothing," Zach insisted, "That agent had saved our lives and I felt obliged to return the favor."  
  
"Well, I'll leave the three of you to get better acquainted," Hans said, "I have to get that MCV ready."  
  
He walked off towards the vehicle pool.  
  
"I need to get the rest of the team organized," said Fritz, "Be back in ten Zach."  
  
Zach started sweating. He knew that Fritz had maneuvered him into this situation intentionally.  
  
"So. Why did you become a nurse?" he asked, desperate for anything to break the silence.  
  
"My father was in the army and I wanted to help others so I thought that becoming a nurse in the Wehrmacht would do it."  
  
"Zach!"  
  
Zach turned his head and saw Fritz waving at him.  
  
"I have to go," he said, "I'd like to talk to you again."  
  
"Me too. We'll talk when you return."  
  
Zach nodded and ran off.  
  
"I thought I had ten minutes," he said when he reached Fritz.  
  
"Change of plans. We need to hit this Soviet base hard now. It seems that the naval force scheduled to assist us is early and we need to move in now."  
  
"Assistance arriving early? Now that's a new thought."  
  
"Tell me about it. The naval forces have already engaged Soviet submarines in the lake. We have to move quickly. These red bastards aren't going to get themselves killed."  
  
Three Apaches flew over them and headed towards the battle. Several Mark IV tanks were also starting to head out.  
  
"Come on. Let's get on board our APC and join in the fun."  
  
Zach slammed a new cartridge into his rifle and followed Fritz. They jumped on an APC and blasted off towards the battle.  
  
"How far is the battle site?"  
  
"Half a kilometer. We'll be there shortly. I personally don't see why we didn't just coordinate the battle from that base back there."  
  
"Probably a political or strategic reason."  
  
  
  
Private Roberto Shield was standing on the dockside looking out at the battleships on battleship row. The US Navy had smarted up and was concentrating on carriers now, but the new Iowa-class battleships were still there and only one carrier taskforce was even by Pearl Harbor. Roberto shook his head. He was in the army, assigned as a guard for some project that the military was running but he was off at the moment. Might as well get something to drink. He went to one of the bars and found one of his friends there.  
  
"Hey Miles."  
  
"Rob."  
  
"Beer," Roberto ordered.  
  
The bartender took out a bottle and slid it to him. Roberto caught it and started chugging it down.  
  
"How's duty?" Miles asked him.  
  
"Same old, same old."  
  
Miles Turner was an old friend of Roberto's back from the academy. While Roberto was on guard duty, Miles was in the Marines now.  
  
"So how's life in the navy?"  
  
"Great. Decent food, actual white bread too, the women are impressed with me since I'm in the Marines."  
  
"Bastard. How the hell did you get into the Marines and I got assigned to guard duty?"  
  
"What are you guarding?"  
  
"I don't even know," said Roberto, "Probably some naval project."  
  
"At Hickam? I don't think so," said Miles, "But then again they did set up those towers alongside the Wisconsin."  
  
"So in other words we have no idea what this is all about."  
  
"Heard they had some kind of accident on the Wisconsin," said Miles, "They lost some men. Do you think that was because of whatever project they were conducting?"  
  
"Don't know," said Roberto, "I'm a guard. I'm not on the development team."  
  
"If its so heavily classified we'll never know what it was," said Miles.  
  
Roberto shrugged. It wasn't like he cared.  
  
"How about another round of beer?"  
  
"Sounds like a good idea."  
  
End of Chapter 9  
  
Pearl Harbor, here we come!  
  
Z98 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: December 7  
  
Zach and his squad had returned from the rather lengthy battle with the Soviet forces. They had first sent in a spy to get information from a Soviet tech center and then moved in and leveled the entire place. The Mammoth Tanks were difficult to take down and many Mark IV tanks were lost during the vicious tank battle. What made it even worse was that General Rommel had to improvise an amphibious landing. But at least it had succeeded.  
  
"You know Fritz, I think we're actually making a difference here."  
  
Fritz looked at the officer in the bunk under Zach.  
  
"If you think that you're fighting for the wrong army. The Brits or the French like to think like that."  
  
"You do have to admit we've set Stalin back."  
  
"We have," said Zach, "Of course, he'll try to set us back some."  
  
"Let him try. The Alliance is going all the way to Moscow," shouted a soldier on the other side of the barracks.  
  
Fritz shook his head and smiled. The soldiers were still high-strung from the battle. But they'd get over it. They always did.  
  
  
  
Roberto was standing outside the gates leading inside a restricted area at Hickam. There were three other soldiers standing guard with him. A few cars drove by but none of them tried to do anything. Nobody tried to park outside the gates. They had orders not to allow anyone to do so. Just then four more guards came out.  
  
"You're relieved fellas," the sergeant said.  
  
"Thank god. I need to take a piss."  
  
Roberto laughed and joined his friends as they headed back to the barracks. The higher-up officers and important lower-ranks got their own houses while privates and grunts had to stay in the barracks. It was five in the morning and they all needed some sleep.  
  
  
  
Several miles off shore a flight of MiG-15s were heading towards Pearl Harbor. They were just one of dozens of formations. These MiG-15 jet fighters had been modified to fly off of carriers and there was a total of three hundred of them. The Soviets had four crudely built but large aircraft carriers launching the attack. The first two waves were in the air and a third was waiting to take off. The Soviet Union was about to score a stunning victory over the United States of America.  
  
  
  
Roberto suddenly felt a goosebump. He was a man that trusted his instincts and walked outside. He was still in his combat uniform and had his M-16 with him. Unlike the other soldiers, his M-16 was actually the AR-15, the civilian version of the M-16. However, his was a custom model that was a gift from his parents when he had graduated from the military academy and it could fire both the army ammunition and the civilian type. He walked around and went to talk to the guards.  
  
"Hey guys. Anything wrong happen?"  
  
"Nope. Something wrong?"  
  
"Just got this feeling. I always get this feeling before something goes wrong."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like I got this feeling before a car blew up because of a bad leak in its gas tank."  
  
"Hmm. Nothing seems to be wrong. Maybe you're wrong this time."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
Roberto walked around and soon came to an antiaircraft gun emplacement. The two soldiers on duty there were playing cards. Roberto walked past them and continued on his way. His feeling didn't go away and time was dragging on. The last time it lasted this long a man was killed a few feet away from him. Something bad was about to happen.  
  
Pearl Harbor was just waking up and its military officers were just reporting for duty. Roberto looked out across the horizon and caught site of something approaching. When he looked up with his binoculars he saw what looked like planes. He immediately radioed in.  
  
"Tower, this is Private Roberto Shield. I've spotted what looks like a large flight of planes coming in due west. Are we expecting them?"  
  
He waited a few seconds for a response.  
  
"This is Tower. Private Shield, those are just F-4 Phantoms heading here. Nothing to worry about."  
  
"Sir, if they're that off course I really don't think they'll make it."  
  
"Good point. I'll check."  
  
"And Tower, there's an awful lot of them. How many are we supposed to be expecting?"  
  
After two minutes the officer on the other end called back.  
  
"Private Shield, please verify report. How many planes do you see?"  
  
"Well, I'm too far away to really tell but more than one squadron. Definitely."  
  
"All right. Good job Private. Get to battlestations."  
  
Roberto acknowledged the order and started running back. Two minutes later sirens started blasting all across the island and a voice was heard yelling over the speakers.  
  
"All hands, red alert. Repeat. Red alert."  
  
  
  
The MiG pilots saw American ships and guns scrambling. The element of surprise had been lost but they were going to strike anyways. They roared in and fired their missiles. Two struck the turret of the Arizona and ripped through the ammunition locker. A second later it exploded. The Arizona was lifted out of the water and ripped in half. It slowly capsized and fell upon dozens of sailors trying to get away. Other missiles struck the side of other ships. They destroyed several destroyers and also sank another battleship. Machineguns from the MiG fighters tore through the water and shot up sailors in the water. More fighters came in from behind and fired. One struck the tower of the Maryland and it came crashing down into the water.  
  
  
  
"Fuck!"  
  
Roberto ran back to where the antiaircraft gun was and found that MiG fighters had already razed the place. The two gunners were full of bullet holes. He pushed their bodies out of the way and took aim. Several MiGs were approaching him. When they were in close he opened fire and clipped one in its fuel tank. A few seconds later it exploded and debris crashed into another fighter. Roberto continued shooting at anything that came close to him.  
  
  
  
Five MiGs flew over Hickam and fired their missiles at a large installation. Six more were behind them and dropped bombs on the old F-86 Sabre jet fighters. More flew over and fired their machineguns, killing the soldiers trying to make a stand. Some fired machineguns at the planes while others shot with whatever they had. More fighters flew over them and gunned down the American soldiers.  
  
  
  
"Captain, I think there's a battle over Pearl," the pilot said to his commander.  
  
"Holy fuck. The Reds just hit us! All units, engage, engage!"  
  
The F-4 fighters sped up and locked onto their targets. They fired off their missiles and soon there were eight less Soviet fighters in the air. They sped through and engaged the Soviet force.  
  
American soldiers on the ground cheered as their own fighters blasted away at the Soviet fighters. But more poured in and fired their missiles on two more battleships. One missile penetrated right through its armor and shot through before impacting on a cruiser next to it.  
  
  
  
Roberto swung his gun around and fired off a burst and damaged another Soviet fighter. This one turned around and headed towards him. Suddenly another missile struck him and a F-4 flew through the wreckage. Roberto cheered and opened fire on other Soviet aircraft. Now at least they had a fighting chance.  
  
  
  
Three pilots jumped into their F-86 fighters and started rolling. Three F- 4s were above them and provided support from Soviet fighters. They shot down another that tried to attack the still grounded F-86s. They were soon in the air and joined the air battle.  
  
  
  
"Comrade Admiral. Squadron commanders report that American forces detected us and are offering stiff opposition."  
  
"How many ships have we destroyed?"  
  
"All of the battleships are sunk and most of their other heavy warships."  
  
"Recall the fighters and move the third wave below deck. We have done enough damage."  
  
"But sir!"  
  
"There's an American carrier force out there Comrade Ensign. Their planes are most likely already in the air searching for us. We need to pull back and maintain the strength of our Pacific Fleet."  
  
"Yes Comrade Admiral."  
  
  
  
Roberto watched as the MiG fighters retreated. The ones who stayed instantly drew the fire of the surviving American fighters and gunners. When he looked out at Pearl he saw that there were only five ships, all of them destroyers, still on the surface. All the others had been sunk. The Soviet Union had caught them off guard and they had paid for it with the Pacific Fleet.  
  
  
  
The members of Congress stood as President Harry Truman got up to the podium. Light bulbs flashed from cameras of reporters waiting for the President's statement. They applauded and a silence fell as they waited for him to speak. This was a full Congressional hearing with both the Senate and House of Representatives.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen of the United States Congress. On December 7, 1947, a day that will live in infamy. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics attacked without provocation the naval base of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While Soviet diplomats wavered false flags of continued peace, their military strategists have been planning this strike against our country. For this attack took time to plan and execute. We have stood on the sidelines for too long. Today, I ask the Senate to declare a state of war between the United States of America and the Soviet Union! Pearl Harbor will be avenged! We will not allow our enemies to make fools of us and get away with it. We will not allow our opponents to kill our children without reprisal. Our honor is at stake here and we will not allow it to be destroyed!"  
  
The members of Congress were swept to their feet and they applauded.  
  
"We have the United States did not ask to be attacked. Our forces at Pearl Harbor had done nothing threatening to the Soviet Union, yet they struck at us with all their might and killed our servicemen and women. Civilians were shot from the sky by Soviet jets as they rained down destruction upon Pearl. The honor of the United States and her people require that we go forth and destroy the Soviet Union for this outrage!"  
  
The members clapped even louder, showing their support for President Truman's speech. They were prepared for war.  
  
  
  
Zach got a newspaper from the office and looked at the front page.  
  
"Those motherfuckers!"  
  
End of Chapter 10  
  
Those of you who know history should also know that December 7th is the date that the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor in World War II.  
  
Z98 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Iron Curtain  
  
"We've come a long way, General Rommel," said von Esling, "The Americans are sending one of their armored corps to our assistance and six infantry divisions."  
  
"I hope they are ready for battle," said Rommel.  
  
"You will be the one to test them," said Esling, "The Americans have heard of you and their government has agreed to place one of their infantry battalions under your command. You will also be reinforced by the 8th Panzer Army."  
  
Rommel tried not to look surprised but it was futile.  
  
"I know this is a surprise, but we have our reasons for doing this. You have the best record of any of our commanders. You have defeated Stalin at nearly every turn and you continue to do so. Well, it's time you were sent out for some more important missions. You've managed to get us vital information regarding the Iron Curtain project and have helped us narrow down the possible traitors within the High Command."  
  
"The thing is General," said Stavros, "You've managed to defeat Stalin in dozens of ground confrontations. However, now we need you to transfer your ability to fight on land to sea."  
  
"There is a major Soviet submarine base that we need to be destroyed," said Esling, "It was also indicated as having something to do with the Iron Curtain project. Therefore, we've decided to give you a task force of destroyers and an armored battalion. Your orders are to capture the radar dome and then destroy the sub pens."  
  
"But you don't care if I don't destroy the entire Soviet base," said Rommel.  
  
"That is completely up to you," said Esling, "Attacking the enemy base directly may be too costly to be considered."  
  
"Very well," said Rommel, "I'll get on it."  
  
"Once you are back, the first American forces should be arriving."  
  
  
  
"Private Roberto Shield?"  
  
Roberto looked up and saw a major looking at him. He saluted.  
  
"Sir."  
  
"You're being promoted to sergeant and transferred," said the major, "You'll be flown to the States and then to France."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
  
  
"I guess I should be saying sorry to you," said Fritz, "since you're the only American here."  
  
"Not really," said Zach, "I don't know anyone at Pearl, but a lot of other people back in the States do."  
  
"So you going to stay with us?"  
  
"Hell yeah. I'm not going back to the States just so I can join some green division. I'm already fighting, and if Uncle Sam doesn't like me fighting with another country he can kiss my ass."  
  
"Right. Now, we're getting deployed again. A naval forces is attacking a major Soviet submarine base. A ground force is needed to take a radar facility and also distract the Soviet forces while a destroyer force moves in."  
  
"Attacking an enemy submarine base," said Zach, "Whose bright idea was this?"  
  
"I think it came from the top," said Fritz, "Come on. We need to get going."  
  
Zach finished dressing and put on his combat uniform. He followed Fritz onto an APC that was loaded onto a landing craft. They left immediately. Zach looked out the window and saw a fleet of six destroyers and eight gunboats. He looked at the map of where the naval base was. If they destroyed it, the Soviets would lose the ability to harass naval forces east of England. Their force landed and the fighting started immediately. Zach and Fritz led a charge that broke through a group of enemy infantry while three tanks and two rangers were unloaded by a second transport. Two more transports appeared and landed ten more tanks. They destroyed six Soviet tanks as they cleared a way for the MCV. It was unloaded by a fifth transport and deployed. Buildings went up quickly and soon an average sized base was completed. The fleet had moved north and Zach could see geysers of underwater explosions shoot up. Suddenly three MiGs appeared and fired on the construction yard. Their missiles struck the building but only slightly damaged it. A few seconds later five antiaircraft guns had gone up. When they returned again, two of the MiGs were shot down and another veered away and retreated. More tanks were ready now and they attacked the enemy position south of them. Zach and the other infantry had stayed behind for the entire battle while rangers were moved up to take down infantry. After what seemed to be another hour, the order to withdraw was sent out. Later Zach and the other soldiers found out that Rommel had destroyed the sub pens. However, he had felt that a full out attack against the Soviets was going to be too costly and decided to withdraw.  
  
  
  
"We didn't even see any fighting," Zach said to Fritz, "It seemed too easy."  
  
"Maybe the Soviet commander was really incompetent."  
  
"For some reason I don't believe that."  
  
They were sitting outside their barracks when dozens of tanks started up and drove off.  
  
"What's going on?" Zach asked a soldier.  
  
"General Rommel is moving out with a small armored force and a destroyer squadron," the soldier answered, "We're to stay behind since he can't move in too many troops."  
  
Zach grunted and let the soldier leave. He settled down next to Fritz again.  
  
"So what do you think?" Fritz said, "General Rommel going to pull another miracle?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"An American division is going to meet us today," said Fritz, "They're all green."  
  
"So were we before this war started," Zach reminded him.  
  
"Fritz, Zach. We're moving out."  
  
The two soldiers loaded up their weapons and got onto their APC.  
  
"So were are we going?" Zach asked.  
  
"Apparently the Soviets have constructed concentration camps and were killing people in them," the gunner said, "We just liberated in Poland and since we're the closest unit we've been assigned to escort a medical convoy going in."  
  
"Concentration camps?" said Zach, "What the hell is that?"  
  
"We'll soon find out," said Fritz.  
  
The convoy soon rolled up to a place with a large sign saying it was Auschwitz. When the soldiers all got out, most felt like they were going to lose their lunch. The stench of the place was horrible and they could see a massive crowd behind barbed wires, all looking like they were more skeleton than human. The eight medical trucks screeched to a halt and nurses and doctors got out. Five more trucks filled with food appeared, but Zach was paying more attention to a certain nurse he had stopped. He walked over and tapped her shoulder. Angelica spun around and smiled when she saw him.  
  
"Hello Sergeant."  
  
"Angelica. What's going on?"  
  
"We were called here to help the prisoners," she said, "A lot of them are in bad shape and need help."  
  
"I can see that. Need any help yourself?"  
  
"Come with me. Oh, and shoulder that rifle. I don't think you'll need it."  
  
Zach ended up spending most of the time helping Angelica carry people to the makeshift medical centers that were set up by other soldiers. The doctors inside examined the people that were in the camp and tried to help them the best they could. Many were loaded up trucks to be transported to the rear so they could go to hospitals and be treated properly. Many died on the spot, unable to carry on.  
  
"Those fucking bastards," Zach muttered at supper. He was sitting with his squad by one of the APCs.  
  
"I know what you mean," Fritz agreed, "The Soviets aren't exactly the nicest of folks."  
  
"So what are we going to do about all of the inmates?" Vincent asked, "We can't exactly keep all of them with us and we can't stay here forever to guard them. The Alliance is still advancing towards Moscow."  
  
"Someone will come up to relieve us," said Fritz, "We're frontline troops and they need us up there fighting."  
  
Just then a battalion of tanks and APCs appeared. All of the Germans got up and held their weapons tight. An American colonel appeared and walked towards the German troops.  
  
"Does anyone speak English?" he asked in very rough German.  
  
Zach walked up.  
  
"I do."  
  
"I am Colonel Xavier Anderson of 4th Division. We're supposed to be joining the 34th Division."  
  
"You found us," said Zach, "I suggest you get your men settled down. We'll be staying here for a while."  
  
Xavier nodded. He then turned and shouted a few orders to the American troops.  
  
"So who are they?" Fritz asked.  
  
"They're our American backup apparently," Zach answered, "Didn't think they'd get here so fast."  
  
"Well, as long as nothing gets out of hand, I don't really care who they are," said Fritz.  
  
Roberto looked over at the German soldier. His English had been fluent. Roberto was pretty sure that man was one of the Americans that had left to join one of the Allied Armies to fight the Soviets. Those people had obviously seen that the war would draw the US into it and decided to get a head start. He wasn't sure if that was the smartest of all things, but they were smart enough to see the war coming. He walked over and tapped the soldier on his shoulder.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"So where're you from?"  
  
"US."  
  
"How long have you been in the German Army?"  
  
"I joined two months after the war broke out," Zach answered. One of the other soldiers said a few things in German and Zach replied in kind. Two nodded while Fritz chuckled.  
  
"What was that?" Roberto asked.  
  
"Warned me to keep you away from my girl," Zach said.  
  
"Fritz! We just got called! Soviet base with some weapons project. We need to move out now!"  
  
"All right, you heard him. Move out!"  
  
Roberto stood there, not understanding any of the German. However, a few seconds later his commanding officer called him over and he got onto an APC. Apparently they would soon be tested in battle.  
  
End of Chapter 11  
  
Note to self: Make chapters longer and actually update more than once a year.  
  
Z98 


End file.
